Let's Danganronpa! Our Despair Odyssey
by iAmFrostiii
Summary: Fangan - V3 Spoilers How does one manage to continue fighting when the will for survival is barely even there? Though there was promise of the end of these distasteful killing games, seven years later one final killing game takes place, headlined as the greatest finale of all time. There may be outside intervention to stop it, but who is to say how many survivors will be found?
1. My Re-birthing Part One

**Before you read:**

Hello! Welcome to the story of Kozaki Daisuke, an irrational and morally gray nineteen-year-old with the weight of his past holding him down. Looking for a reason to live his life without fear, the arsonist is thrown into a killing game with other students looking for a new direction in life. Will hope or despair prevail? Is there a future to reach for, a truth in all these lies? Can the sixteen students of the Killing Odessey make it out alive?

 **SPOILER WARNING!**

Please be sure that you have finished V3 before reading this story, as key moments from its plot will be relevant to the story. (Especially V3-6)

 **STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING!**

You're going to find some swearing here, be cautious.

I hope you enjoy the ride~

* * *

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon, Mr. Daisuke."

Attorney Steveston, a tall man with feathery black hair clad in his usual loose suit, seemed to be quite disappointed in me. He flipped through a binder to jot down some notes. "What brings you here today?"

Leaning back in the wooden chair perpendicular to my attorney's desk, I crossed my arms behind my head as a sort of pillow. "You see...it's no big deal. Just a small fire."

Attorney Steveston frowned lightly at me and looked into the binder. "That's not what Mrs. Hashigawa told me."

"Well you tell Mrs. Hashigawa to watch where she's mowing the lawn!" I immediately stood up, defensively. "She could've run that damn junk over Shiro!"

Attorney Steveston sighed and put the binder down. "Lighting a lawn mower on fire is not just a 'small fire' Kozaki." Picking up the binder, I heard various clanging sounds as he searched for the right drawer to place it into.

"It was outside, though." I sat back down. "Away from any trees, away from her house. I just needed to teach her a lesson."

"There was still gasoline in that lawnmower, and the gas from the burning killed one of her chickens that was unfortunately too close." Attorney Steveston stood up from his desk and sighed. "Look, Kozaki. I know that you're especially uptight around this time of year, but...you're already over eighteen years old. I've been very patient with helping you…" He sighed once more. "But you're an adult now, and you'll be treated as such. You're going to land in jail if you can't fix this up, and I'm sure you don't want that."

I sighed and crossed my arms, tilting my head away in my insecure thoughts. "Hell no…"

"Your therapist was telling me earlier that you've been skipping out again." Attorney Steveston walked over to the shelf my chair was pressed against, pulling out yet another card - the seventeenth so far - to contact my therapist. "Go get yourself another scheduling done and see Amanda as soon as possible."

Sighing, I took the card and slipped it into my pocket. It wasn't the fact that I didn't like Mrs. Loric - or Amanda as Attorney Steveston calls her via first-name-basis - but I hated the idea of talking to someone about my feelings. To me, it was burdening someone else with my own worries, and it was simply not worth getting more people involved with my own problems.

If anyone would take care of my problems, it would be me.

"Today _is_ that day again, isn't it?" Attorney Steveston patted me on the shoulder. "Why not take Shiro for a walk over?"

Without a word, I slung my flamethrower back over my back and opened the door to leave.

"And also…" Attorney Steveston nodded. "Please, take care of yourself."

I looked over to him, my eyes lining up with his for a moment. Without being able to find a way to respond, simply I nodded and left.

* * *

The air was frigid this morning, colder than the farthest reach of clouds to the void of space.

Some leaves held on by sheer will to not be blown off mercilessly from their trees, as I hold on to my life with perhaps my pinky fingers. There's not a lot to hold on to, incredibly easy to finally let go.

I couldn't bring Shiro to this place. He doesn't deserve that kind of pain while he reaches his final years.

Eight years ago, right?

I couldn't believe it was that time again. Everything since then was a blur, full of melancholy and the ever sweeping waves of time, pushing me forward on and on.

Ever since then, I stopped caring about anything at all. I lost everything that day, perhaps even my life since now everything's gone to a statis for me. With every heavy step, I dare not turn my head to glance at anything besides what is ahead of me. I'm moving forward without moving onward.

I pulled off my black hood to let my messy, cerise pink hair fly freely in the wind. My pants were ripped and left my legs to the mercy of the weather. The only decent clothing I had on were my unbroken sneakers, a gift from my cousin who recently returned from a trip to Boston. Without socks on, scars were starting to show on my ankles.

The weather then was almost just like today, starting out with a light drizzle with some fog, the moonlight piercing the sky every now and then. No sound except for the brushing of leaves or the occasional owl's call.

Kneeling down and brushing my left hand against a bundle of wreckage, this was where it all began.

Where I lost my friends, my pride, my entire self.

Where everything was stripped from my hands.

Stopping suddenly, I closed my eyes to reflect.

* * *

"Zaki! Come on now! You're going to light the bonfire, right? Right?" A voice called out to me.

Looking over, I saw Mikanne standing with the rain pattering against his head. He didn't grant it a single worry, something I admired about him. Mikanne was never worried about anything, living adventurously.

His black hair clinged to his face due to the rain. Giggling, he pulled it all across his eyes and growled. "I'm the panther of the storm, Zaki! I'm going to eat you if you don't hurry up!"

I walked up to him and crossed my arms, smiling. "You're sure that having a bonfire in the rain is going to work?"

"Aw, cmon. Don't spoil the fun." Mikanne grinned and pointed to Shiro, my pet dog, who was running over to us. "Even Shiro wants to join us, so now you can't let us down!"

Looking up towards the rain, I pulled up my hood to cover my head. It didn't make any difference in retrospect, as I was putting on a wet hood atop my soaking hair. "Alright, let's do it in the cave. But we have to be careful."

Mikanne, Shiro, and myself met up with a group of children I could not quite remember. Standing inside the cave and creating a small fire to warm up, Mikanne stood atop a rock pridefully to gain everyone's attention. "Ladies, gentlemen...and dog."

Shiro wagged his tail gleefully, providing a short yap.

"Today we have gathered here to witness the great creation of our Ultimate Fire Master!" Mikanne gestured towards me. "Witness the creation of Hell's gateway!"

Pulling off my hood as some sort of reveal, I removed and unzipped my water-proof backpack I had trugged with me to reveal expertly selected sticks. "I made sure there won't be very much smoke, so don't worry. My dad's a lumber." I nodded to provide comfort to worried faces. "I know a thing or two about picking the best wood."

With the expanding fire besides the entrance to the cave, nobody was worried that we would suffocate or overheat. If anyone had caught fire, simply standing outside in the rain would be all that was needed to fix the issue.

Screams of delight and cheer rung out, children running around the fire, picking up some sticks I had brought and lighting the tips, tossing the sticks around. One of the children even brought a bag of marshmallows to toast over the bonfire. It was truly a sight.

As the fire keeper, it was my responsibility to ensure nobody was hurt from the fire, and it was my responsibility to ensure the fire wouldn't grow so large. Shiro walked up to my side and handed me a stick, to which I picked up and tossed away from the fire. He ran after it gleefully.

I could hear some kind of humming sound nearby. Turning to Mikanne, I voiced my concern. "Do you hear that? That...that sound?"

Shaking his head, Mikanne crossed his arms. "I think you're becoming paranoid again, Zaki." He then smiled, understanding my psyche. "Though...if you're _really_ worried, I'll keep the fire for you while you go and check outside."

"Thanks, Mik." I smiled and once again pulled up my hoodie.

The rain was slowly growing heavy, I was certain my mom would scold me for catching a cold. Especially if she knew _why_. I couldn't see anything nearby the cave, so it was in my best interest to climb up a tree to get a better view. Just beyond the growing fog I could see a group of folk, possibly in their early twenties, messing around with construction equipment left unattended during the rain. They were digging into the dirt, slamming scoops into the ground, it was quite the deplorable sight.

One kicked a can, it rolling with a small stream of water through a crack just large enough to guide it. Landing not far away from the cave, I could see it was _Moonlight_ , a brand of alcohol my dad often drinks.

It shifted to a memory of my mom using alcohol to cook. I could remember her doing something called a flambe, where she would pour alcohol into her pork chops and light them on fire. They tasted quite new, so I was unsure on how to verdict them.

Regardless, I knew that alcohol would pose a serious threat to our safety if it got any closer to our fire. Without a waste of time, I slid down the tree and rushed over to the other children. "We've gotta stop this, guys."

Stopping in their tracks, the children grew disappointed. Mikanne walked over to me and patted me on the shoulder. "Say, Zaki. You sure it's not just-"

"No, no!" I brushed his hand away and pointed towards the entrance of the cave. "Some of those darn college kids are drinking right on top of our party!"

The reactions were mixed, spanning from confusion to 'so what?' and the like. Mikanne shrugged. "It's not like they're pouring the stuff into our fire, Zaki."

I pointed towards the now growing pile of tossed cans towards the entrance. "I...I just don't trust this."

Sighing, Mikanne allowed me to end the party. "Alright, Zaki. I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt here either." He pointed towards the cave's entrance. "Alright, guys. The show's over."

The children all exited into the rain, huddling together for a sense of security. Mikanne stayed behind to try and put out the fire himself. "Go send the kids off, Zaki."

We didn't get too far away from the closing party when we were unfortunately greeted by the crew of college wipeouts.

"Woah, guys. Isn't that a sight?" One of the college students walked over, staggering. It seemed he was drunken. "You...you fuckin' kids having a lit, huuuh?"

I walked over to confront the group of college kids. "No, we 'fuckin' kids' decided it would be smart to call it off."

Another student chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Damn kids these days, huh? Imagine what would happen if they played a killing game." He grinned. "I could go for less toddlers around."

"Season fifty-two is starting in two weeks." A third, more sober added. "I'm excited. Who are you rooting for?"

"That Super-Highschool-Level Adventurer sounds pretty interesting. He's sure in for a hell of a ride, let me tell you!" The first laughed and threw his half-filled can to the ground.

With the opportunity presented to get the children out, I ushered them away towards the forest, whispering, "Go on, before your parents get worried where you're at."

"Woah...woaaaah." The second grabbed me by the hoodie and held me back. "Somebody tryin' to be the big boy, huuuh?"

Angrilly, I pulled my hoodie away and covered my head. "Piss off."

The trio laughed, one of them poured their drink on top of me. "What a big boy, huh? A real biiiig boy."

The first one threw his last can atop the pile. "You should run on home too, little boy." Mockingly, he got close to my face. "Your parents are waiting."

Clenching my fist, I nailed him straight in the nose.

"Oh now you're in for it, little boy." The first one picked me up by the sweater. "What a...fuckin' piece a-shit you are, huh?"

I struggled to get out of his grip, kicking him repeatedly in the chest. The mud of my shoes left dirt all over his clothes.

"Pff. Small fry like you aren't worth the trouble." The student threw me into the pile of cans.

That's what got everything rolling.

I slowly stood up in horror to see the fire grow relentlessly, cans scattered to and fro. I looked over to the ceiling, cracks began to form. The weight of the rainfall combined with those idiot college students digging into the ground was going to cause the cave to collapse, but there was no clear way for escape.

I desperately reached over to Mikanne and Shiro. "Get out of there! Run!" Though I never thought to tell them where.

My faulty instructions couldn't save them.

"Oh...holy fuckin' shit." The third student backed away, picking up his phone quickly.

The first one bolted out from the scene, and the second one slapped himself across the face. "Oh man. If this was _Danganronpa_ , he'd be executed for sure."

* * *

It faded from one memory to another. Shiro was blinded in one eye and had to have his front right leg amputated from being burnt badly. Mikanne was worse, as he had protected Shiro. His whole chest up to just above his chin was awfully burned, with other scars all over him.

I was outcasted. If it weren't for the whole bonfire in the first place, it wouldn't have ever happened. I had almost killed two of my best friends, all because I wanted to please the children with a display of my selfish ability. Mikanne had wanted to hang out, but his parents forced him away. It was understandable, to say the least. Fortunately I still had Shiro to snuggle up by my side.

My dad ripped into me hard, beating me with his shoe. I was forbidden to ever have such 'meetups' with anyone ever again, and I could never leave the house after dark alone. My mom simply sat down and pulled me under her shoulder for at least twenty minutes without any sign she wanted to let me go.

Following an investigation of the scene, the one who threw me into the cans had turned himself in, possibly to lighten his punishment. Besides just endangering the lives of others, what his group of wipeouts did with the construction equipment was illegal anyways. Though, he certainly was not honest about the situation, trying to hide the full story.

Since I had been there, my mom insisted I attend the trial. I was confused as to why someone my age could provide anything useful, but seeing that so-called 'man' lie on the stand disgusted me.

"We were careless, I know. Being somewhere we weren't supposed to, doing things we weren't supposed to either." He defended himself. "We tossed the cans, yeah. We didn't know digging into the ground for fun was going to cause this. We didn't...didn't know there was a buncha kids under us! **We had already left before it even happened."**

I couldn't listen to the pile of lies anymore. I found myself standing up suddenly and pointing at him. I couldn't hold back, I yelled at him. "That's wrong!"

Silence. The entire room turned to look at me. Freezing, I didn't know whether to press forward or not. It wasn't my place, it wasn't my job.

One thing led to another and I was put on the stand. I recited everything I could remember to near perfection. I had even pointed at evidence to support myself in case nobody believed me. "Those are the cans he shoved me into, my mom couldn't get the stains off for three hours of scrubbing! And see that sweater? Those shoe prints came from me kicking him when he tried to off with me!"

I don't know why or how, but my thirst for justice - for avenging my friends - drove me forward.

"Why should we trust that kid?" I could hear someone in the gallery say. "He caused that fire in the first place."

I bit my lip, the words started to swallow me.

"That kid's a nut."

"It's his fault for the fire."

"How can we trust a child to know everything perfectly anyways?"

"He should be in juvenile, that's for sure."

The prosecutor cut the courtroom down, waving her hand. "No, no. We want to hear the truth out of everyone." She nodded. "Even controversial witnesses are just as important as others." She then picked up a piece of paper and adjusted her glasses. "Here's everything that happened in this case."

* * *

I sat down besides the crumbles of the cave, it withering away over time with a fresh patch of grass and flowers to cover up the remnants of the past. The rain had pulled back, a faint rainbow stretching above. I slung off the flamethrower from my back and stroked the throttle with my thumb.

It's been eight years, hasn't it Mikanne?

"Where are you now, eh?" I chuckled and picked up a rock, tossing it in absolutely no direction of interest. "Did you ever get into design like you wanted?"

Leaning back and looking up into the sky, I closed my eyes to think. It's a funny story, really. A funny, shitty, damned story about how I lost everything. I didn't care anymore, the world meant less and less with each passing day.

I became obsessed with fire. I wanted to burn things, I wanted to burn my anger. Just less than a week after that court case, I went and burned that guy's house to the ground. Nobody died of course, but they sure as hell needed to move out into a new house. I remember looking him straight in the eye and telling him, "I hope this is a good 'execution' for what you did."

I didn't fully know what I was saying. I had taken that word since I heard them toss it into the air, to which I caught to throw back at them.

Something about _Danganronpa_.

Too bad, though. That show ended seven years ago. I was disgusted to find out the people on that show really...that they would willingly put themselves into it. I couldn't believe what kind of sickos would watch that shit.

But perhaps it was just me. After all, the show had been on for 53 seasons.

I sometimes wonder what happened after the cameras cut in their final episode. The show made it look that they had all died, but over the years there's been rumors that four of them had survived. Apparently they say the detective, the magician, and the assassin were able to find the robot's data being stored on a cloud, and they were able to revive him. It was a happy and sad ending.

I wish my ending could've been a fraction that nice. Now here I am back and forth in juvenile because I can't stop myself from lighting things up. I can't help it.

My last gift from Mikanne was my flamethrower, and I'm never letting anyone take that away from me. I hope wherever he is, at least he's gone on to make something of himself.

Can't get much worse than me. A dropout, a runt, a literal arsonist. I'm sure they're ready to throw me in jail if it weren't for my 'mental health' or something. Therapy doesn't do anything for me. I just need to find myself again, huh?

Sure, sure…

"Wouldn't you like to have a fresh taste in what it feels to be alive?"

I sat up and looked around to see no one. Perhaps it was all in my head. Insecure, I pulled up my hood, perhaps this place was bringing out the bad memories again.

Slinging my flamethrower back over my back, I gripped the strap as I walked back through the forest. Perhaps I would go burn a bonfire later, and toast marshmallows over it. Only to feel that last moment of joy once more.

"Kozaki Daisuke, right?"

I stopped and turned around, again to see no one. Then, I armed myself, keeping my index on the trigger. "...Who the hell's there?"

"I'd like to offer you the opportunity of redemption."

I turned around again, growing perturbed more than concerned. It had to be someone messing with me again.

"We think you'd be an excellent candidate."

Turning around once more, my eyes met with a masked individual standing just three inches away from me. Shocked, I backed away and aimed my flamethrower. "T-This isn't funny, asshole. Pull off the mask and piss off."

The individual simply nodded and spoke into a cell phone. "We found the kid. Be back shortly."

Another two individuals grabbed me from behind. Despite the fact I had grown physically stronger as of recent years helping my dad with his lumber work, they easily were overpowering me. I couldn't manage to pull the trigger of my flamethrower before they unarmed me.

Pulling out a second mask, the individual facing me tilted his head. "This is for the best, Mr. Daisuke. Either you come with us, or you're going to land in prison for all those crimes your 'mental health' contributed to. Just let it all go."

Before I had the chance to reply, the mask was shoved into my face. I felt my strength leave me until I couldn't feel anything except drifting to a void of darkness.

* * *

We were building that flamethrower together, him and I. We were going to have the best parties, we were going to rule the world together. That was our little joke.

Mikanne had designed the whole thing. He said the fire master should be the one with the honor of wielding it. He told me how excited he was to see it in action.

I had to finish it by myself. Before he moved away, I met him in the forest - without the knowledge of our parents - to promise him I would have the greatest bonfire in the world so he could see it from wherever he was.

"You'll do that for me, Zaki?" He had asked me before we parted.

"Yeah." I smiled. "Maybe the colors will inspire your designs."

Mikanne reached into his pocket and handed me a silver necklace. "I spent my allowance on this, Zaki. I hope you'll always wear it and remember me."

Digging into my own pocket, I gave Mikanne a handmade string bracelet. "I learned how to make these so I could give you something as well. I hope you'll remember me, too…"

We shared a tight embrace, and the next day he was gone.

Now eight years later...I still don't know where he is or what he's doing. Perhaps it...is better this way.

I wish sometimes I could make it all go away. I wish I could start clean. I wish I could have a second chance at life.

But those are all foolish wishes made by a hopeless soul.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was blinded by light. Dimming down after a minute or so, I found myself in some sort of bedroom. I wasn't able to recognize where I was, but I had a few ideas.

I suppose they finally locked me up in an asylum, eh? Now... where's my straight jacket?

All jokes aside, my head was numbing. I could feel my veins pulsing, excited to burst. It felt as though an elephant was sitting on my brain.

Attempting to recall the events leading up to this, something not quite right peeped up in my immediate consciousness.

Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist.

I frowned and grabbed at my head, brushing through my unkempt hair. What the hell is that meant to be?

Noise. That was all I could register it as.

I climbed out of bed, finding my clothes dried and neatly folded on the bed stand nearby, my sneakers by the door. When I looked down, I was dressed in rubber ducky pajamas.

This truly is an asylum, huh?

Frowning, I pulled off the pajamas with insult leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

I dressed myself and pulled the hood over my head. It made me feel safe, protected from anything even. Like a turtle retreating to its shell, I like to imagine. At least I wore my favorite maroon shirt today, which I hid away underneath my hoodie. It was a relief to see it was also here...wherever _here_ was. Being recently washed and emitting a warm aura, I had a piece of home with me to hide away for myself.

Slowly turning the door knob, I peered out to find myself in a hallway, with one grand, crystal-esc staircase leading down to a lower level. Descending nervously, I looked around and asked, to no one in particular, "Where the hell am I?"

The immediate area turned out to be some kind of dorm. Housing eight boys and eight girls, I wondered what kind of crazy asylum I ended up in.

To the corner of my eye, I spotted a girl looking just as perplexed as I. She was walking into the area from a hallway to the far right facing the stairs, and thus my left, to which I wondered where it branched off to. Her golden hair was split by two braids running down her shoulders, her shirt was a deep maroon color with orange sleeves and a brown collar. Underneath was a khaki skirt, knee-high brown socks, and formal dress shoes. A fedora with two short feathers was perched upon her head, matching her shoes that clutched her socks.

Was I going to go and talk to her? She seemed kind enough, I believed.

She made the first move, walking over to me with quick and worried steps. "Excuse me, umm, excuse me!" She stopped just before me. "Do you know where I am?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately not. I'd have liked to ask you the same."

The girl took a moment to observe me. She examined my hoodie, giving her most attention to the sigil I had personally stitched onto the sleeve, my black and slightly ripped jeans, my loosely tied sneakers, and the bits of my wild hair peeking out from underneath my hoodie.

"If I may ask...who are you?" She looked up to me.

I scratched the back of my head, nervously. Should I be blunt? First impressions are the most important… "I'm…"

Her light and patient smile caused me to lose composure slightly. I had no choice but to be blunt. "...Name's Kozaki...though you probably could care less." I frowned lightly. "Personally, I care fuck all for anything."

She covered her mouth with one hand to suppress her gasp.

Seeing her react startledly, I tried to be reassuring. "Don't take it too hard." I sighed, clutching my left shoulder. "I just...have lot of rage to burn. Guess it fits that I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist."

...now what just came out of my mouth? It was that stuff that I thought of when I woke up. Super...what? I'm a dropout, dumbass. I'm not a super-highschool-anything.

Now I've gone and screwed up even more, and I've only met this girl for a damn minute.

"I see…" The girl held her hands together behind her back while avoiding eye contact. "Sounds pretty rough…"

"Damn straight." I frowned. "Just when I was trying to relax, some freaks kidnapped me."

The girl looked back towards me, her mouth quivering for a moment. "Kidnapped...you too?"

"Huh?" I blinked, she was being quite forward about it.

"I was in Bucharest last night." She held her hands out front, squeezing her grip lightly. "I had just finished performing in the country's best orchestra, when I stepped outside to collect myself…"

Country's best? Sounded like a dream to me, a hopeless and unachievable one at that.

"I was a little disappointed, to be honest…" Sighing heavily, the girl looked to the ground. "I feel like no matter how hard I push myself, I fall short."

Terrible with people, I didn't know how to respond. "Hey...don't say that." I offered a faint smile. "I'm sure you're a very nice...uhh…" I looked away, I hadn't even asked what instrument she plays.

"Clarinetist." She smiled, giggling lightly.

I looked back to her and chuckled. "Better that then burning down buildings and random shit."

"Hmm...when you put it that way…" She then laughed a moment. "Don't worry, I'm just teasing."

I then raised an eyebrow. "Come to think of it...where is Bucharest…?"

She blinked, surprised. "You don't know? It's the capital of our country, silly."

I blinked as well, tilting my head in confusion. "N...No? It's Washington D.C…"

She blinked once more. "Are you from America?"

I nodded, reflecting on the place I call home. "Oh, yes. From Pennsylvania." I then looked to her. "Are you...not from the US?"

She shook her head. "No, sorry. I didn't mean to assume you are from Romania as well when I heard you speak the language."

Dumbfounded, I squinted my eyes. "I've...never spoken Romanian in my life. We're conversing in English."

"Uhh…" She too, appeared to be genuinely confused. "N...No, we're speaking in Romanian...it's the only language I know."

We looked to the side, awkwardly. I then realized something, and looked back towards her. "Say...I didn't catch your name."

The clarinetist smiled at me, ignoring our language conflict for the moment. "Guess I will introduce myself." She then waved in a friendly manner. "Hi there! My name's Riko, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

I nodded. "Good to meet you as well."

"I hope we can get along and know each other well. I can even play the clarinet for you! That is my talent, after all." She sighed, lamentively. "Though, a Super-Highschool-Level Clarinetist is kinda...useless without a clarinet…"

I blinked. "Did you drop it somewhere?"

She shook her head. "I don't remember...I had it when those masked people attacked me...and I woke up without it."

I then looked back up the staircase, quickly bolting up to what was labeled as my room. When Riko arrived, she peeked from behind the doorway as I dug around in no clue of direction.

"Fuck." I gritted my teeth. "Those bastards took my flamethrower."

Kneeling her head through the door frame without stepping inside, Riko asked me, "Umm...what about a flamethrower?"

I sighed and sat down on my bed, fuming. "A close friend helped me build it before he moved away eight years ago. It's the last thing I have from him and I hadn't seen him since. It means the world to me...he was...my only other friend, really."

Riko did not want to overstep her bounds. She sat besides the inner wall of my room, looking away. "You know…"

I looked over to her, trying to retain myself. "Y...yeah?"

She sighed heavily and hugged her knees, hiding her face. "My clarinet was a gift from my late aunt. I never would've found love for it if it hadn't been for her...I miss the way she would play…" She looked up. "I promised her, when I was accepted into the orchestra...I'd have her clarinet see the world for her. I had surpassed her without ever feeling I did so." She looked over to my direction, but did not make any eye contact. "She passed away shortly after my first performance...I'd like to think she believed in my ability when she left."

My throat trembled, my heart grew heavy. I felt guilt pour in for my poor attitude. She had lost her inspiration forever without ever hearing a verdict, she'd never know how proud her aunt was. Meanwhile here I am slouching around because of someone who I hadn't seen in years, granted it being my fault as well.

Though I'm terrible with people, I sat besides her and we sat in silence for a moment. Our memories were stolen...and there seemed to be no way to recover them.

* * *

"So...you're certain you are speaking Romanian?" I felt at my head, sitting forward after a short rest. "I hear you speaking English to me."

Riko felt at her head as well, careful to not knock her hat over. "I don't know why, but...it sounds quite impossible."

Uneasy, we both looked away. How was this even physically possible, I wondered.

"Hey, aren't you a little hot with that hoodie?" Riko asked, worriedly. "You're dressed as if you're going out in the rain.

I chuckled and looked over to her. "Funny story, but I _was_ out in the rain before...I ended up here."

She nodded thoughtfully and closed her eyes to think. "So...may I ask if you, too, woke up in pajamas in some bedroom?"

"Yep." I sighed and unzipped my hoodie, allowing my shirt to touch the light of the room. My silver necklace reflected the light of the room faintly. Immediately I covered my necklace with my shirt, a protective instinct. I couldn't let anything happen to it, _especially now_ when my flamethrower was taken. "Ducky pajamas."

Once more, she nodded. "Cookie pajamas."

I nervously turned to Riko. "Say...this wouldn't happen to be an asylum, right? You seem far too well off for that."

Shaking her head, it was clear to me she was just as in the dark.

"Well then...I wonder how long we'll have to sit until something happens…" I stood up and walked outside of my room, pausing to see if Riko would join me. "There's supposed to be more of us, but you're the only one I've found so far."

Timidly, Riko walked to my side. "W-Well, yeah. I haven't met anyone else yet." She reflected upon her experience. "I woke up in what is apparently designated to be my room. That one, down the hall." She gestured to the third door on the 'girls' side of our shared top floor. "My clarinet was gone, all my clothes were clean and in order…"

I nodded. "Same here...minus the clarinet and plus the flamethrower."

"I walked around for a while, though I couldn't see much because almost all the doors were locked." Riko continued. "There were two rooms that I could get into, though. There's a three-story library that's also an observatory. Inside were hundreds of books, tons about astronomy."

Taking a moment to ponder, I asked her, "A library with only astronomy books?"

"Not only." Riko raised her right index finger. "Just an overwhelming majority. There are lots of chemistry, biology, physics, and other science books."

Nodding, I started to walk down the stairs. "Maybe I can take a look?"

"Sure." Riko nodded, closing the door to my room for me. "It's just down the right wing, then to the left."

I then paused for a moment. "Oh, and...what's the second room?"

Riko walked ahead of me into the right wing. "It's completely empty. Though it is labeled as a 'puzzle room' of sorts, there was nothing I could find...so...I just left…"

Trailing behind her, we entered the library. The smell was incredibly dusty, the aging books reeked of their knowledge. Spinning around to look at all the books was a carousel of insanity, they seemed to be endless.

I slipped my hands into my pockets subconsciously as I whistled in remark of the observatory's grand ambiance. "Daaaamn…"

"You know...I still wonder where everyone else is…" Riko quickly put her hands up defensively. "T-That's not to say I _want_ other people to be here! I-I just mean...I hope nobody is hurt…" She then sighed and walked towards a golden-gilded spiral staircase to the far left of the room. "If there are supposed to be other people here...why haven't we seen them yet? That's what I meant to say…"

I looked down in the direction of my right hand as I pulled out a ruined piece of paper. It was Mrs. Loric's contact information, nearly destroyed by supposedly being in the laundry with my clothes. I couldn't help but wonder who did this, and why…

Damn it! If only I could find a phone around here...

But seeing the strip of paper reminded me of something. "H-Hey, Riko?"

Riko stopped about halfway up the stairs towards the second floor. "Yeah? Did you find something?"

Waving up the slip of paper, I called out, "Maybe there's a way we can contact somebody for help? Or maybe escape? You know?" Frowning, I looked down to the ground and whispered to myself, "I sure as hell want to get outta here."

Scurrying down the stairs, Riko returned to my side. "You think we can find a way to escape?"

Her hopeful aura caused me to grow nervous, as though she had expected me to already have ideas. "W-Well…"

"But...what if there really _are_ other people trapped here?" She worriedly held her hands together. "W-We can't just leave them here…"

"Shit…" I crossed my arms as cold sweat slipped down from my neck to my back. We didn't even know what place this _was_ at all, but the environment was screaming at me that something was horribly wrong. If there really are other people trapped here…

"Kozaki, we have to find them." Riko reached for my hand, before stopping herself to not invade my boundaries. "What if something foul's in the air? What if...what if we've been kidnapped by the mafia?!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Like the mafia would want anything to do with an arsonist." I then stopped. "Actually...scratch that..." I then stammered as I turned to Riko. "W-Well, I-I mean...the hell would the mafia want with a...a lovely clarinetist such as yourself?"

Sighing, Riko smiled lightly while exiting the observatory. "Why thank you very much, sir arsonist."

Quickly following behind, I saw Riko heading over to the second room she mentioned to me.

Upon her opening the door, she turned to me and simply shrugged. "Well...this is the second room."

Taking a look inside, the room was the definition of endless void. It seemed to continue beyond the enclosed horizon of this place I dubbed a prison. Just a pure space of being, iching for the presence of some _one_ or some _thing_.

"It's called the Puzzle Room." Riko pulled me back to reality by directing my attention towards the sign next to the door. "I-I may have mentioned this earlier, but…"

Looking back inside, I was absolutely baffled. "A puzzle room, with what puzzle then? There's nothing here."

Riko closed the door and leaned against the wall. "Exactly. There's nothing here at all to do, so...what kind of puzzle is it meant to be?"

Jokingly, I waved my hand. "Surely, we make the puzzle ourselves and solve it, right?"

Unenthused, Riko returned to the dorm area without a word.

I quickly hurried behind her to apologize. "W-Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make the situation not seem so bad. My garbage humor kicks in when I'm under stress."

Riko stopped suddenly, causing me to bump into her. I feared I had finally ruined a possible friendship I've been needing for years.

However, it wasn't like this at all. When I looked over her hat, I could see she did not stop because of my shitty attitude, but...because of…

* * *

" _Danganronpa?_ " I turned to Mikanne, repeating the title.

"That's right." He nodded, changing the channel. "That's what those washout college students were talking about."

"And...you watched it?" Nervously, I held my hands together. "Mik, that show's rating is-"

Mikanne cut me off as he declared, "This is it."

I looked to the screen, seeing a colorful cast of what appeared to be highschool students. "Season fifty two. They were talking about a new season, weren't they?" Looking back to Mikanne, I shook my head. "Mik, we can't watch this! My mom said-"

"I know, I know Zaki." He sighed, dropping the remote onto the ground. "But this is our last weekend together before I move. Let's watch this now, so maybe we'll watch the show together while we are far apart?" He nodded. "Besides, if everyone loves this show, how bad could it be?"

I felt strange in my gut, looking back towards the trap door separating the attic from the living room of my house. "I...don't want to watch a show where people kill each other, Mik."

Mikanne suddenly giggled. "Come on, Zaki. You don't _really_ these people really die, right? I heard my dad say that...some shows have special effects! So maybe it's just a trick."

"You promise, Mik?" I looked back towards him, still nervous. The anxiety was eating me up, surely my parents would beat me senseless if they found out I had seen this show. "Promise me that nobody's really going to get hurt, okay?"

* * *

"Did-you-two-have-fun-?" A shrill, mechanical voice asked to us.

Terrified, Riko jumped into my arms for protection. "W-What is that thing, Kozaki?!"

Examining the robotic figure that presented itself to us, I gently separated myself from Riko. The voice belonged to a robot constructed in a manner reminiscent of a snowman, with its head balancing atop a rounder body, supposedly via magnetic force. Its entire body was split down the middle with contrasting white and black colors, with a single red eye streaking across the blackened half. On the other side was a black cross, perhaps to show there was no eye to be found.

"It...it looks like some sort of robot." I then turned to her rapidly. "N-Not to sound like a smartass."

"Your-time-is-up-up-up-!" The mechanical one continued. "I-hope-you-enjoyed-your-sneak-peek-!"

"S-Sneak peek?" Riko and I exchanged glances. She turned back to the robot and held her hands together. "U-Umm...excuse me? Do you know where we are?"

"No-questions-! No-questions-! Time-is-up-up-up-!" The robot started to spin in circles rapidly.

I pulled my left arm in front of Riko protectively. "Watch out, I think this bot's gone nuts and bolts!" I then looked over to her. "And I bet it has something to do with this place, this all stinks."

Suddenly the robot rolled closer to us, shy of one foot away. It sprouted arms and grabbed us by our collars. "I-don't-have-all-day-! There-are-other-people-waiting-for-their-turns-! You're-causing-me-delay-!"

Riko and I were effortlessly dragged across the room towards the left wing hallway. I tried to reach for the railing of the stairs, but I didn't have much luck with grasping them.

The left wing was quite different from the right, leading either directly into the mouth of a stairwell or cutting to a sharp right. With the robot forcefully leading us through, I took notice to how there was a large open area which branched out as a four-way, each opening marked with the different marks of a compass. Above the intersection was a glass dome to reveal the night sky teasing us from wherever we were.

We headed left to the West Hall, all the way to the end through a set of double doors. We were hastily dropped off while the robot took off, supposedly to terrorize more people.

Slowly standing up, I rubbed my keister while groaning, "What the hell…?"

"Kozaki, look." Riko whispered to me as she motioned forward.

We appeared to be standing atop a stage facing an auditorium. The 'we' did not include just Riko and myself, but various other people as well. Including us, this made eight in total.

Half of the amount of dorms there were, half of the expected amount of students.

* * *

We stood in silence for a while, awkward silence. It seems each student came with a partner, one boy and one girl, possibly paired at random. Atleast, I reasoned it this way as said partners stood close together - done if they had some sort of familiarity with each other.

As time continued to run on, the crowd growing larger and larger, no pair dared to speak to another. Riko and I pressed our backs against the wall, together alone.

Suddenly, multiple spotlights were directed towards us all. I pulled my hoodie down hardly over my eyes and covered my ears when the screaming sound of a megaphone rang out throughout the auditorium.

"Welcome-one-and-all-! I-hope-you're-doing-well-this-evening-!" The robot announced.

Standing tiptoed to get a view over the sea of heads in front of me, I could see the bot was balancing on a director's chair. While I had no idea why or how its round body managed to get up, it was the least of my worries.

"My-name-is-Monobotto. I-am-the-host-of-this-fine-display." The one dubbed as Monobotto spun around in its chair, eerily giving off an excited vibe.

Multiple voices began whispering, seemingly still between the assigned pairs. Riko slowly walked over next to me. "What's going on here…?"

Monobotto hopped up and down impatiently in its director's chair. "I've-been-waiting-for-this-moment-! A-wonderful-cast-indeed-!" Tossing the megaphone to the side, Monobotto pointed to us. "It's-finally-time-for-the-killing-game-!"

The entire room grew silent.

Killing game?

That's...ridiculous. Who in their right mind…?

"I'm not going to be a part of some sick game!" One voice yelled out in the sea of silence. It belonged to a shorter boy standing not too far away from me. His skin was darker, his body more muscular, with brown hair peeking out from a green helmet. He was wearing a chartreuse tank top, elbow pads oddly being worn above his elbows, with athletic shorts, socks, and sneakers. His knee pads were actually on his knees, though. Dauntlessly, the boy pointed towards Monobotto. "I'll never be a darn part of anything like that!"

Monobotto taunted him back.  
"You'd-be-surprised-as-to-how-many-others-said-that-once…" It spun around and giggled to itself.

I reached over to the boy and placed my hand on his shoulder, locking my eyes to Monobotto. "You're fucking crazy if you think that for even one second I'm going to kill someone! It's a hundred times more likely I'd bash myself in the damn head before I even consider that!"

Suddenly there was a large rise of outrage throughout us all.

"That's disgusting! I'm never going to kill someone!"

"I'm not going to let some robot tell me what to do!"

"Is this an out of season April Fool's joke?!"

"Let's get outta here!"

However, Monobotto ignored our collected voices and whipped out yet another megaphone. "SILENCE-FOOLS-!"

We all stood, watching. The tension was high, and we were all hungry for answers.

"If-you-want-to-survive…" Monobotto continued its explanation. "Perhaps-you-should-see-it's-everyone-for-themselves. Perhaps-I'll-leave-you-to-let-that-sink-in." Monobotto dropped its second megaphone. "I'll-return-to-you-later...with-information-on-how-to-escape-if-you'd-like..." With that, the robotic one hopped off its chair and rolled away.

Us all exchanging glances, I sighed and leaned against the wall, slipping down and sitting on the floor. Holding my head in my hands, I asked to no one in particular, "What the fuck have I gotten myself into?"

I closed my eyes to allow myself to fall into a sea of silence. One moment...that's all it took to throw me into...whatever this sick hell was.

Masked figures...killing game…

There didn't seem to be any way out…

I'm going to die here, I know it. And I'll...never see my family again. By now they must've thought of me dead. And poor Shiro...he's probably heartbroken…

"Kozaki?"

Suddenly snapping back into reality, I looked up to face the reality I was in.

Riko walked over to me and offered me a hand. "Come on, Kozaki."

I looked up to Riko, her hand a single light to guide me through the darkness. Taking her hand, I allowed her to pull me up as I could not muster my own strength to stand again.

"Now then…" Riko turned to the group of students, still holding my hand gently. "Everyone, let's work together. We've gotta get out of here."

* * *

~End of Prologue Part 1~


	2. My Re-birthing Part Two

I looked around at the many faces that filled the room, my nervous pupils dancing around in a mixture of panic and curiosity. My first thoughts were asking me, 'Who are these people?'

Should I introduce myself, I wondered. But how, then? I don't recall the last time so many people were around me at once, making me grow nervous. More people meant more opinions of me, to which I absolutely feared.

"So then." Riko was the one to break the silence. "Before we all try to get out, how about we have some...i-introductions?"

I could tell Riko was nervous. Though she was attempting to provide a kindling to the group, it was apparent that it wasn't really starting anything. To help her feel more comfortable, I quickly stepped in. "U-Uh...I'm Kozaki." I nodded. "Kozaki Daisuke…"

There were mixed murmurs throughout the group, so I wasn't sure whether to press forward or not. Nervously, I continued, "I'm nineteen...from the US...I have a dog…w-well...back home...I…" My face blushed red with embarrassment. The last time I had to introduce myself to a group of people was during my freshman seminar.

"I'm Riko Hamoizumi." Riko smiled, kindly. I was glad she was bailing me out from my downward spiral. "I'm seventeen, from Romania. My talent is the Super-Highschool-Level Clarinetist, and I like cats."

For a moment, I felt as though I should drop in my apparent 'talent' or whatever...but I figured it was for the best that less people knew about my arsonist habits.

Especially now, with the words 'killing game' flying above us. If they knew, they'd all fear me...

It came to me that perhaps telling Riko about it was a mistake, I just hope she doesn't think I'm trying to hurt anyone by lying. Hopefully the clarinetist would be on board with that…

But what should I cover as?

The shorter boy from earlier smiled and attempted to keep the river flowing. "My name is-"

"Enough."

We turned to one of the taller boys, wearing a black and green striped shirt, jet black hair with green streaks to match. He pushed his glasses up his nose and continued, coldly. "We don't have time for this. I want to get out of here. There's no time for prancing around and making friends."

"I agree with Zraiko." A blonde girl wearing particularly warm clothes splashed with shades of blue, nodded simply. "If we are to get out of here, we need to cut out the fluff." Leaning in, she frowned. "I have plans, and I need to stay on schedule."

I tried to say something as the group slowly dispersed, but couldn't manage any words out. The crowd shrunk until only Riko and myself remained on the stage with the shorter boy and his apparent partner.

"Hey…" The boy smiled, kindly. "I...would like to introduce myself, if it's alright."

Riko's face held some relief as she nodded. "That would be great."

"Then let's get it started." The boy nodded in return. "Hey there, nice to meet you. My name's Kyohi, though...my friends call me Kyo."

I didn't want to be an ass and ask if I could call him that, so I remained silent.

"Kyohi…" Riko smiled. "Good to meet you."

"Kyohi Hayai, yep." The boy now known as Kyohi stood straight with pride. "Hockey is my life, and I hope others will appreciate it as well. After all, I am the Super-Highschool-Level Hockey Player."

Mentally, I took note of Kyohi. Yet another person with a 'talent' of sorts. Though...something about these talents felt sour. I just couldn't seem to render _why._ I could've sworn something about this all was familiar...but each time it scratched my conscience it was lost again.

"Let's play a round sometime, yeah?" Kyohi derailed my train of thought. "I'm even down for air hockey!"

I did finally manage to ask something. "Hey...did you...happen to lose something when you came here? Something really... _really_ important to you?"

Kyohi's pure smile turned into one of lament. "I did, actually. It hurt me darn hard. See, I have this hockey stick that I carved myself from a fallen tree branch. Wouldn't have done it without my dad, and I always play with it." He looked to the side, his voice carrying weight. "I...obviously can't just...replace it."

His supposed partner then spoke up. "So...y-you guys too, then?"

"Huh?" Riko looked over to the girl, startled by the new voice. "W-Well, yes. My clarinet is gone. And Kozaki-"

"I lost my necklace." I quickly butted in. "An old friend gave it to me the last time I saw him eight years ago...so...it means the world to me."

Riko raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't press me. It seemed she understood my worry with bringing up my arsonist ways.

The new girl - with baby blue-ish hair, a rosey pink shirt, a mint scarf, and cherry red tights - sighed. "My drawing tablet was taken. I-I know it sounds like an easy fix...b-but it was a gift. I don't really have the money to buy another one."

I nodded, thoughtfully. Coming from a borderline-impoverished family, I could comprehend the mentality of cherishing gifts from others. "So then...you are?"

"Good to meet you. I'm Neizami Otomaeda. A little thing to know about me is I love art, especially digital."

"Super-Highschool-Level Digital Artist, I take it?" Riko asked.

Neizami nodded, continuing on her introduction. "I hope that I may share it with you sometime, i-if you'd like to. I-I would...hope s-so…" She then shook her head. "A-Anyway! Let's work together, y-yeah?"

After an awkward silence, I sat down onto the wooden floor. Standing in one place was awful, and my legs were screaming at me to do something about it. Interestingly enough, the rest also sat down onto the floor, as though to keep the synergy going.

"You're nineteen, Kozaki?" Kyohi asked, somewhat embarrassed. "Dang...I'm only fourteen."

I blinked in surprise. "Just fourteen? Shit man...you sure as hell shouldn't be worried about killing games...well...none of us should be…" I looked to the side. "I want nothing to do with this either…"

Kyohi looked to the side, uncomfortable. "S-Sorry...but...do you mind?"

"Huh?" I looked over to him, worriedly. "D-Did I say something wrong?"

"Well...not really...I know the situation is tense and all...but…" Kyohi sighed, almost embarrassed. "My parents told me never to swear, you know. It's disrespectful...a-and...if it's okay, maybe you could...tone it...down…?"

Looking to the side, I grabbed my right shoulder. "You're right...I have been swearing quite a bit recently. I'm used to it so it's never bothered me...I...I'll try to amend that."

Kyohi smiled, relieved. "Thank you."

Raising her hand lightly, Riko asked, "So...I take it you are not speaking Romanian as well, correct?"

"Romanian? N-No." Neizami shook her head. "I head us in Korean."

"English." Kyohi blinked. "So…I'm not crazy. We're all speaking different languages, but we still understand each other?"

"How the hel-" I quickly corrected myself. "How the heck is that even possible?"

"I hate to say it...but I think Monobotto knows." Riko held her hands, nervously. "I...don't want to go anywhere near him, though…"

"Same here…" I frowned. "That as- I mean...that...awful robot...wants us to kill each other as a game!"

"Where are we, anyway?" Neizami looked upwards. "And how did we get here, I wonder...we're all apparently from different parts of the world. T-To think...one organization orchestrated this...and why…?"

I wish I had the answers for all those questions. I wish I knew so many things about this black box. Why me? Why...why me? It was the only question circulating through my mind. Why am I here? Why...oh why... _just...why…_?

"I'm from South Korea." The digital artist smiled. "And...despite the situation we're in...it's nice to meet people from other countries. I've never left the peninsula."

"I'm from South Africa." Kyohi nodded. "While I've been to other countries, I haven't ever been outside of the continent."

Riko and I provided our own countries of origin. Once more, we sat in silence, unsure of how to develop the conversation.

"Monobotto...probably knows everything that's going on." I frowned. "I don't know if that mecha-trash is the 'big bad' or anything, though. A group of people wearing masks kidnapped me, so they must be the ones pulling the strings." Gritting my teeth, I punched the ground. "I'm not gonna let them make a puppet out of me!"

While there were nods of agreement, we still had no idea where to turn. Should we pursue Monobotto for answers, or...perhaps it would be better to avoid that trash can as long as possible?

* * *

Why was I here?

When I thought about it, I tried to remember what that masked being said to me.

'It would be better to be here than in prison,' the being told me.

Foreign voices started to echo in my mind, perhaps they spoke to me while I was unconscious. Perhaps they spoke to me while taking me away.

'Look at him,' I heard voices say faintly. 'A waste of life like this. It's like a blank canvas begging to be painted on.'

My body felt cold, I couldn't move. Everything faded in and out...voices whispering, hushed and excited.

Just sitting there, in the rain. A mental rainfall, cold fear drowning me. Eyes closed, unable to make connections. I couldn't make sense of this, or anything.

The floor then gave away, I reached up with nothing to hold on to. I reached, but nothing was there to stop me from falling, and nothing was there to catch me.

'We'll make a good one out of you, Kozaki Daisuke.'

I felt a hand stroke through my hair, causing my tense body to relax, as though there was a touch of familiarity. There was no rhyme or reason, there was no sense or sensibility. I had no control, I never did and it never changed.

'You'll make it much more...entertaining. We'll show them all what it means to end with a bang.'

I tried to say something, as though I was once aware of what was happening. I wanted to yell out, I wanted to fight them. The only words I could manage were…

I won't.

I won't.

I won't.

 _I won't._

 _ **I won't.**_

 _ **I WON'T.**_

But I had no choice.

There never was a choice.

'Kozaki…'

* * *

"Kozaki…"

I blinked, rubbing my eyes. "Wh...what…?"

"We were asking about if you were ready to leave the room." Riko looked down to me, worriedly. "You...just sat there...staring off into space. It was very...scary…"

Quickly noticing how I was the only one still sitting down, I jumped up nervously. "I-I'm sorry. It's a bad habit…"

Jumping down from the stage, we all walked up the carpet of the auditorium, pushing the door open. Without robot arms to drag us around, we were free to roam at last.

"These two rooms here," Kyohi pointed to two rooms facing each other in the immediate hallway, "Neizami and I explored them during our…'preview' or whatever." He attempted to open the door of the right room, but to no luck.

I checked the door of the second room, it also was locked. It seemed as though once time was up, the rooms locked.

For what reason, and for how long?

"Kozaki and I also got to explore some rooms." Riko explained. "There was a library, and...well…"

"What _claims_ to be a puzzle room." I picked up from where Riko was drifting off. "But the room had nothing in it...just empty and...barren…"

"These two rooms are almost exactly alike." Neizami motioned to the rooms between us in the hallway. "They're labeled as North and South Study rooms."

Looking down the hallway, I could see the four-way that had blurred by. With no other direction to go, we all walked into the area to find another group of four down a set of stairs in the middle of the room. They were sitting besides a fountain in the right corner, chatting.

"Maybe we should talk to them?" Kyohi suggested. "Surely they're also looking to escape."

I looked over to the group cautiously. Luckily that Zraiko guy and his partner weren't there to shut down introductions again, so hopefully they would be more open to speak with us.

The group looked over in our direction as we approached with hope and anxiety. Riko smiled, attempting to build a bridge. "Hey…have you guys found anything?"

One of the girls, wearing various shades of pink across her attire - including a light sweater, a darker shirt, a hot pink beanie, and black pants - replied kindly. "Not too much, sorry…the most we found were bathrooms and a kitchen. Everything else was locked."

Her partner, a boy with fiery orange hair dressed in neat uniform with various brown colors, nodded. "Sí, and those rooms are locked now. Es una situación muy interesante."

Blinking, I pointed to the orange-haired boy. "You're...not speaking English fully."

The boy shrugged, quite chipper. "Comprendo quatro idiomas. I understand four languages."

"Ah...I see…" I looked to the side, awkwardly. It was strange...it was inconsistent. Why is it that this boy seemed to be unaffected by...whatever language spell veiled the rest of us. "And you are...?"

"Hola. I'm Fraize Kimizai, it's a pleasure to meet you." The orange one smiled, though his face held the feeling of nervousness, and oddly embarrassment. "Normally, I would like to show you around, though even I have no idea where we are. Perhaps if there was a map…"

"Finding a map would do us well." A new voice, belonging to a shorter girl, introduced itself to the conversation. She stood at barely half my stature, her brown hair holding two red highlights, donning a red bandanna, an open brown coat, a bright yellow shirt, black pants, and a pair of worn boots. I grew worried to see she had a scar slit across her left eye, though the rule of scars told me to _never_ question their origin. He or she would have to open up on their own behalf.

"That's a great idea." Riko smiled, trying to extend the invitation of friendship.

"Ahh...Valé! I hope we become amigos buenos." The one now known as Fraize smiled.

I looked over to what seemed to be the shorter girl's partner, a silent and taller boy with blueish hair pulled over his eyes. His ears seemed to have been through some plastic surgery, as they were shaped into an elf's ear style. His whole outfit was quite futuristic as well, with some tattoos on his arms and face. "And you are?"

He didn't respond, so I awkwardly looked to the side.

"What are your talents?" Kyohi asked, beaming.

"I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Tour Guide." Fraize smiled. "Yo puedo visitar lugares cerca de Barcelona y habla mucho de los tópicos."

"H-Huh…?" I blinked. "W-What was that about…'po'…'pwedo' and…'loogarres' and…"

Fraize sighed and simply replied, "I can visit places around Barcelona and speak much about the topics."

"You have to forgive him." Riko didn't want the friendship to fall out so quickly. "Kozaki here hasn't taken Spanish as his foreign language, _right_ …?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was...taking German instead." I shamelessly lied.

"Oh...lo siento." Fraize tapped his fingers together. "I will try my best to speak more English, in that case."

"You don't have to go out of your way for us, Fraize." Neizami nodded. "I actually like how you speak Spanish and...it isn't altered in any way for the rest of us. We all hear you are speaking in Spanish when you do, and...when you don't it becomes automatically translated."

Fraize nodded. "Hmm...it's very strange...perhaps that Monobotto installed una programa de traducir into us? A...a translating program? Like... _some crazy sci-fi movie!_ "

I frowned and felt at my head. "I'll kick that Monobotto like a damn soccer ball if it did anything even _NEAR_ my brain."

Kyohi sighed and looked to the side with discomfort. my bad habit slipped out already…

Timidly, Riko placed a hand onto my shoulder. "Calm down, Kozaki...Monobotto has us all on the ropes. Surely if you did that…" She didn't dare finish her thought.

I looked back over to the shorter girl and her awfully silent partner, then over to the girl clad in pink. "And who are you?"

Fraize's partner smiled, kindly. "Hey...nice to meet you."

Kyohi returned a smile. "Hey, good to meet you as well!"

"I'm Tikari, Fanorne Tikari. I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Special Educator, so I'm really good with children of special needs." Tikari explained. "This place really gives you the creeps, doesn't it, eh? Well...if you need some advice on anything, you can come to me, eh? Ahh...shucks...what're we gonna do…?" The special educator crossed her arms and looked to the side.

It sure would have been nice if Tikari could educate me on ways to escape…

Looking over to the shorter girl, I could see she was looking away from the group. Her eyes were closed, it seemed she was in deep thought about something.

"Hey…" Riko looked over to her. "Would you like to...introduce yourself?"

Bitterly, the girl looked over at Riko. "Do you mind? I'm trying to think here."

Apologetically, Riko held her hands together. "O-Oh...I'm sorry to bother you…"

I frowned lightly. "Hey, we're just trying to get on the same page."

"What's your problem?!" The girl gritted her teeth.

Attempting to keep the peace, Tikari stepped in. "Come on, Mei...we all need to work together to get out of here…"

Rolling her eyes, the girl now known as Mei sighed. "Uhg...name's Mei Jiana. Don't fuck with me or else I'll knock you over." She kept her eyes fixated on me. "That's the vigilante life, _comprende_?"

Kyohi's face showed discomfort, but it seemed he was too afraid to express low tolerance of swearing to the bite-sized spice girl.

Nervously, I gulped. "S-Sure…"

Thoughtfully, Neizami nodded. "Does that mean your talent is...Super-Highschool-Level Vigilante?"

Mei looked bitter in response to the title. "...Sure…"

Something about the way she said that...it made me think there was something off. I shook my head and turned to the silent one. "A-And...lastly, would you care to…?"

"...they call me Mest. How's that?" He replied, not interested in speaking any longer.

Hopeful, Kyohi tried to pry out more information. "Umm...anything else?" He leaned in, uncomfortably close to Mest. "What's your talent?"

Mest backed away, clearly showing his desire to remain in his bubble. "Please...unless you're looking for a tattoo, I'd like to have some space…"

Kyohi backed away. "O-Oh, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to invade…"

"It's not you, I promise." Mest looked to the side. "I'm...nervous around other people. I hope you can understand that."

Neizami nodded, kindly. "Of course. I promise not to invade your privacy."

Mest nodded lightly. "Thank you…"

Looking for a tattoo, huh? So... Super-Highschool-Level Tattoo Artist, it seems.

...the back of my mind wanted to tell me something. In Mest's eyes, I could feel another pair of eyes looking back at me. A familiar pair of eyes, with softness like my mother's.

"Spit it out, then." Mei pointed to us. "Your talents, and what was taken from you?"

We each went around in a circle. Mest lost his sketchbook, Mei lost her shotgun, Fraize lost his whistle, and Tikari lost a treasured picture with a class of children. They all turned to me, the last one to speak.

"I…" I sighed, holding my right arm. "I lost a necklace that I treasure. An old friend gave it to me many years ago, and it means the world to me as I haven't seen him since we parted that day. My talent...Super-Highschool-Level Jeweler."

Riko dared not to comment, though she looked at me quizzically. The others had mixed reactions, some of them were not convinced.

"You sure as hell don't look like a jeweler." Mei squinted her eyes. "What's with the hood, and the shady getup?"

I sighed, pulling down the lip of my hood. "I just happened to be wearing it out in the rain when I was taken." I looked over to Mei. "Is my sweater underneath not 'jeweler' material? Or my...designer shoes?"

Scoffing, Mei looked away. "Whatever."

Mest continued to look at me, as though there was disbelief. I feared he was seeing through my lie, but...it wasn't quite a look of simply doubt. It was a look of...confusion, as though he had _expected_ something else. Not simply just expecting another talent, but...expecting one in particular. At least, that was what I gathered from examining his eyes beneath the gaps in his hair.

He spoke, softly. "Kozaki?"

I blinked, worried if he was going to press me. "Y-Yeah?"

"That necklace...if that's your precious item you lost, then...you must've valued it over everything, right?" Mest looked over to the side, feeling his left wrist.

Confused, I nodded. "I...would suppose that...would be true?"

"Hmm…" Mest grew silent in thought.

Growing worried, I wanted to know what was on his mind. "Why are you asking?"

"Can't a guy just ask his questions?" Mei sighed.

"Sorry...I just…" Feeling my forehead, I looked downwards. "I get nervous when people ask me lots of questions."

Tikari nodded. "That's alright, Kozaki."

"I say bullshit." Mei spat into the fountain. "Daisuke, if you're already _this_ paranoid, you're not going to survive this 'killing game.'"

I looked over to Mei, surprised. "D-Daisuke…?"

Mei locked eyes with me. "What do you want me to call you, then? _Dunce-suke_?"

Frowning, I pointed at her. "No, certainly not! My name is…"

Suddenly, we were silenced as we took notice to the presence of Monobotto. Nobody dared to speak a word, fearing for the worst.

Monobotto rolled over towards me and sprouted out a mechanical arm, handing me a slip of paper. I was hesitant to take it, but it would be nice to keep my head atop my shoulders. While the robotic one handed slips to Fraize and Mei, I read mine.

"After orientation, go to the observatory…" I blinked. "O...Orientation?"

Mei rolled her eyes and jammed the slip into her pocket. "Just do what the slip says, Daisuke. We don't have a choice."

Sighing, I slipped the paper into my own pocket. "That's true…"

"Pero, por que?" Fraize put the slip into his coat pocket. "And why only us three?"

Monobotto hummed, irritated. Even without words, that robot was terrifying. After all...it wanted us to play a killing game.

Fraize bit his lip and quickly brushed off the thought. "Y-You know, no es una problema. F-Forget the question."

Slowly, Monobotto rolled away, perhaps to find more students to pester.

* * *

Riko and I continued on our own, splitting from the larger group. It was her idea, so I believed she wanted to speak with me in private.

We walked through the South Hall, intersecting with the Left Wing. Finding a set of stairs, Riko and I sat down and stared forward for a while.

"Kozaki, are you worried?" Riko asked, not beating around the bush. "About...them knowing your talent? Because of the killing game that was announced?"

"Absolutely." I sighed, crossing my arms. "Riko, I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have burdened you with this."

"You're really going to tell everyone you're a jeweler, then?" Riko raised an eyebrow. "I hate to say it, but...it's not going to hold."

"It's going to hold as long as it can." I frowned. "It'll hold long enough for us to find a way out, and by then it won't even matter anymore."

With a sigh, Riko leaned back against the stairs. "Don't you think it'll only make it worse? I mean...imagine they found out. What then?"

I shook my head and stood up, climbing up the stairs. For now, I wanted to push the problem far away from me. "Come on, Riko. We haven't gone upstairs yet, we might find something."

Upon climbing stairs, we found ourselves on the upper level Left Wing. Standing by a door to the left were two individuals. A boy dressed warmly in a poofy indigo sweater with his maroon scarf spilling out of it, with a maroon cap twisted to the side allowing for his ponytail to pop out. The girl besides him was dressed in what seemed to be some kind of cheer uniform, though it was quite unconventional and the colors were all over the place. The outfit wasn't very cohesive, but she seemed to have the maturity to know better.

"Hey there." Riko smiled, once again attempting to connect us students together. "Who are you guys?"

The boy didn't seem to keen on talking to us, though his partner smiled and waved. "Hey, hey~! I'm Kamiyaki Raiyne, and cheers to meet you!"

"Cheers...to meet you…?" I blinked.

"Yup, yup." She giggled. "If you're ever in a pinch, I'll do my best to help out! Cheering is my specialty, yeah? Let's give it a hundred percent!"

Baffled, I blinked while raising an index finger. "I...uh…"

"Incase you're a dumbass, she's a cheerleader. A Super-Highschool-Level Cheerleader." The boy squinted his eyes at me. "You're dense, aren't you?"

Riko stepped in quickly to prevent a fight. "Hey, hey...tell us about yourself first..?"

The boy sighed and crossed his arms. "Otonori, Soro. Howzit going?"

Unenthused, I squinted my eyes towards Soro.

"I know...pretty shitty, yeah?" Soro kicked his foot into the ground. "Well...this would make for a good thriller movie, if you catch my drift. Not that I would want that to happen, I also wanna get outta here pronto…"

Riko crossed her arms in thought. "You like working with movies?"

"I film them." Soro smiled, pridefully. "Super-Highschool-Level Cinematographer."

When asked about our identities, Riko went around to tell her same truth, while I went around to tell my same lie.

And the new stolen items to add to the ever growing catalog, Soro's camera and Kamiyaki's pom-poms. I was hardly paying attention to Riko's chatting as I thought about the motivation for stealing all our precious items.

To get into our heads?

To destroy our sense of security?

If this were an anime, perhaps they would be used to power up some kind of doomsday machine?

Now this is getting ridiculous.

There's no reason to take our items away besides impacting use, no doubt. Though, if this is a killing game...would...someone be crazy enough to kill over it?

"Kozaki?"

I looked over to Riko. "Y-Yeah?"

"You spaced out again…" She sighed, shaking her head. "Kamiyaki is from the US as well."

I looked over to Kamiyaki, mildly interested. "Yeah?"

"From Massachusetts." Kamiyaki giggled.

"O-Oh…" I nodded. "That's cool. I'm-"

"From Pennsylvania." Soro rolled his eyes. "Riko told us while you were off in your own world."

I sighed and held my right arm. "S-Sorry…"

Soro turned away from the group. "Come on, Kamiyaki. At least the bathrooms are unlocked here, I have to relieve myself."

Kamiyaki sighed and nodded to Riko and myself. "Soro is afraid that we'll be hurt if we separate, so I sorta...follow him around."

I nodded. "Given the circumstances, it's perfectly reasonable."

"I'll see you guys later then, at the...orientation…" Kamiyaki blinked, but then smiled. "I'm sure that we will find out how to escape during then! See you~!"

With that, Kamiyaki followed Soro down the hall, supposedly to the bathrooms. I took mental note of the fact they were unlocked.

Walking down the hallway, I noticed we were now back to the upper level dorms. I wanted to just collapse onto my assigned bed, to just sleep the world away. Like a video game, to close my eyes while time moves on without me until I wake up to take part in life once more.

"Hey, Kozaki...everyone's gathering downstairs." Riko motioned towards the steps.

I looked over to notice a crowd of students building up slowly as Monobotto wheeled around back and forth. Not wanting any trouble, Riko and I quickly joined in the group.

After about a moment's notice, all the students were gathered. Monobotto rolled over to us, donning a tour guide's badge. "Now-that-you-are-all-here...it-is-time-for-orientation."

We were all handed a tablet of sorts, unique for each student. I powered it up as Monobotto explained it.

"These-are-your-Botto-Padlets. Bottolets-for-short. Take-a-moment-to-view-the-menu."

The menu contained six apps. One with a map of the school, one texting and one calling app to other Bottolets, one announcement app, a camera app, and…

"T-This...has information about me…" I frowned. "How...how did you get this? My age, my height, my origin, allergies, blood type...even psyche waves?!"

Monobotto beeped, spinning around twice. "What-else-did-you-think-we-did-once-we-brought-you-here-? First-thing-we-did-was-gather-your-data."

"Why would this even be of any use?" Neizami asked, timidly. "L-Like...what are we...supposed to do with this information?"

"To-help-you-during-the-killing-game." Monobotto simply beeped again.

I wanted to take the damn thing and smash it, but surely if I did that Monobotto would smash me in the head...it has us all...herded like sheep, following the path it directs us into...until it leads us to the slaughter house.

"When-you-first-arrived-you-were-assigned-a-partner-to-explore-selected-rooms. We-shall-now-visit-them-as-a-group. Feel-free-to-tell-us-what-you-have-discovered."

Monobotto rolled down the Right Wing, expecting us all to follow closely behind.

* * *

There were many different rooms across our prison, all now unlocked perhaps for the orientation. The lower Right Wing contained, in addition to what I already knew, an arcade and a laundry room. Riko explained the library, as I personally have only seen the first floor of it. The group turned to me to explain the puzzle room.

"Well, here we have a room filled with absolutely nothing." I opened the door to show them. "See…" Pausing, I noticed how there were now three lights at the end of the room, the colors of a stoplight.

"Well, that isn't quite empty, now is it?" One student who I had not yet encountered spoke. She was a taller girl with darker skin, lavender hair, and a punk-ish sort of outfit. She had a motorcycle helmet strapped onto her shoulder as well, which I found odd, but intriguing. "Were those lights here before?"

"N-No…" I turned to Riko. "They weren't...right?"

Riko shook her head. "I haven't seen these lights before either."

The purple girl turned to her partner, a boy clad in a blue suit, his whole outfit completely symmetrical besides a single clip on his right collar. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Non, this won't do. How are we expected to understand the room if not even you do?"

Sighing, I closed the door. "S-Sorry…"

"Have-no-woes-you-fools." Monobotto rolled up besides my leg, causing me to restrain myself from kicking it away. "Allow-me-to-explain-the-Puzzle-Room."

We all stepped aside as Monobotto opened the door once more, rolling into the room. "Every-now-and-again-there-will-be-a-puzzle-loaded-into-this-room." It turned its head around to face us. "Those-who-can-solve-the-puzzle-will-have-the-privilege-to-obtain…"

"Obtain…?" Kyohi asked, wanting to hear the end of the sentence.

"Their-precious-item-and-a-way-to-escape." Monobotto finished.

"S-So...we don't have to kill each other at all. We just solve the puzzle and we're home free!" Soro pumped his fists.

"Not-quite-so. There-is-a-risk-to-these-puzzles." Monobotto slowly turned in a circle. "A-deadly-risk. If-you-break-the-rules. If-you-run-out-of-time. If-you-are-not-successful. You-will-die."

We all looked at each other nervously, should we risk our lives for even a _chance_ to make it out?

It was on my mind almost the whole orientation. I didn't pay attention to the garden or the kitchen, nor to the kitchen or some unknown elevator that was hardly explained anyway. I didn't regard the dining room or the bathrooms, though I snapped back to reality upon the group stopping suddenly.

"This-room-is-one-I'm-excited-about." Monobotto spun around.

The boy named Zraiko coughed into his hand as he was about to explain. "This...spectacle...is called a Shift Room."

Monobotto sprouted arms and pushed Zraiko out of the way. "You-are-not-giving-it-justice-!" It retracted one of its arms and used the second one to point around. "Once-in-a-while-this-room-will-load-a-special-feature."

Nervously, the group carried murmurs around.

"You-may-find-a-spa. You-may-find-a-salon. You-may-find-even-a-mountain-view." Monobotto spun around once more, gleefully it seemed. "And-the-one-who-decides-that-is-me."

Not giving any more explanation, Monobotto rolled down the hall, expecting us to follow without a word. Once again, I felt lost in thought. How was that even possible? Loading a...a mountain?!

At our final stop, Monobotto turned to Zraiko's partner. "Explain these rooms, please."

"These two rooms are also shift rooms." The girl explained. "Different from the previous one, though they are identical to each other."

"Is-there-a-volunteer-?" Monobotto turned to us.

One boy, dressed in baggy overalls with his green hair tied up, felt inclined to step forward due to the robot's terrifying dead glare. Monobotto took his tablet and scanned it into the room, causing it to shift into a fisherman's shop. I suppose that boy was the Super-Highschool-Level Fisherman.

"These-rooms-are-for-you. Scan-you-Bottolet-and-the-room-will-match-your-talent." It slowly turned to us. "Perhaps-for-comfort. Perhaps-for-murder."

Led back to the stairs by the dorm area, Monobotto turned to us. "You-may-now-rest. Perhaps-get-along-until-I-get-your-first-motive."

"F...First motive?" Kyohi nervously asked.

Simply, the bot turned and began to roll away. "For-murder." It then paused for a moment. "If-you-received-a-slip-you-will-be-expected-at-the-observatory-in-ten-minutes." With that, it rolled away.

The observatory, skipped on our tour for some reason that I couldn't figure except it being related to the apparent killing game.

Before the group dispersed, I quickly tried to get the final identities of the students I had yet to meet. "Wait a second, guys."

"That bot didn't tell us anything about escaping." Tikari looked down in worry.

Fraize uncomfortably crossed his arms. "Es una problema grande...I want to get out and go home to mi familia…"

"Uhg. I'm going to my room. There's too many people here…" Zraiko frowned, bitterly.

"Hold it." The girl with the motorcycle helmet resting on her shoulder placed her brawny left hand onto Zraiko's shoulder. "Don't you know that being isolated will make it easier for you to die?"

Frowning, Zraiko pushed her hand away. "...fine then, but I won't stick around for too long."

Riko smiled, patiently. "Alright, tell us about yourself."

"Huh? You want to know about me?" He fumbled for words. "...I'll make it quick. Name's Zraiko Nikiroi. Super-Highschool-Level Hacker." Frowning once more, he glared at me. "Don't be stupid and you won't piss me off. That's all you need to know."

I took in a deep breath to not acknowledge the attack, then nodded. "Stolen item?"

"...Flash drive, has my best codes on it." The hacker sighed, fumbling his hands. "Spent hours on them, too."

Looking over to his blonde partner, I raised my eyebrow expectantly. "And you?"

"...Figure skates." She sighed, arms crossed behind her back.

I raised my eyebrow three times.

"W-What do you want?!" She frowned as well. It became clear to me no wonder she and Zraiko seemed to get along well. "I don't have time for these little 'introduction' things. I have to get out of here and get back on the rink! That's all I'm here for, as Ingreis Arinama, the great Super-Highschool-Level Figure Skater from Munich."

Blinking, I exchanged glances with Riko. We had a mutual agreement that Ingreis and Zraiko surely were teamed up on purpose.

Now that I thought about it... Munich is in Germany. If there was any time to find something positive about the mysterious translation spell, it would be now since I lied about knowing German...and surely Ingreis would be quick to call out my bullshit.

Turning to the last two pairs, I pointed to the girl in purple. "And you are?"

Waving with a smile, she spoke. "Yo! What's good? Well...this isn't too good right now, huh?" She pumped her fist confidently. "No worries, I'm sure if we stick together we'll make it through. You can count on me! Name's Sayino. When we get out of here, you'll see the sick moves I have to offer."

Kamiyaki giggled. "I love your charisma."

"Why thank you." Sayino bowed.

"Talent?" Soro asked, expectantly.

Sayino placed her hands onto her waist. "...uhh...you mean that...super highschool stuff, yeah?" She chuckled, awkwardly. "Funny story...but I'm out of highschool. But I guess I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Motorcyclist...who lost her motorcycle."

The person who had been standing next to her was now leaning against the stair railway. It was her apparent partner from before, and he seemed to be in heavy thought. Walking over to him and away from the crowd, I asked him, "What's up?"

He looked over to me, eyebrow raised. "Eh?"

"You seem to be very thoughtful about all this." I smiled. "Maybe you've...thought of a plan?"

He glared at my outfit, his face contorting in disgust. "Oh non...what the hell are you wearing?!"

Gulping, I felt at my right shoulder. "U-Uhh...a hoodie...a sweater...pants...s-shoes?"

"Uhg, what was your name again?" He looked at me sharply.

"K-K-Kozaki." I gulped, nervously.

"'Kozaki' you said? Well, 'Kozaki' my friend, you need to throw that drag hoodie out. It reeks of the scent of ash! Non, non. This won't do. Surely there must be some kind of place in this 'jail' we're in where I can throw together another shirt for you."

Offended, I pulled the hood tightly down my face. "I-I like this hoodie, though…"

"It'll be on me, trust me, the greatest protege designer of Paris, Weise Vayrne! That's how desperately you need an outfit change." He grabbed at the hoodie. "Take that off. Allow me, the Super-Highschool-Level Fashion Designer, to help your fashion flop!"

"N-N-No, please!" I pulled away. "P-Please...I am just fine, thank you…"

Puffing his left cheek, Weise crossed his arms. "Hmph...fine…" He turned back to look across the railing. "Say, that chandelier would make for a fantastic dress design, no? If only my design sketchbook wasn't stolen…"

I decided to step away from Weise, to not burst his bubble of creativity. It seems that fashion designers really _can_ make clothes out of anything…

With just one pair left, I turned to the quietest individuals besides Mest. They were both shorter people, though not as short as Mei, I worried they were too afraid to speak to anyone.

"Hey." I approached them, carefully. "I don't think we've met yet."

"Hey there." The fisherman smiled, awkwardly. "Strange situation here, isn't it?"

"Certainly." I nodded.

The boy looked to the side. "I hope to get back outside as soon as possible. The lack of sunshine here is abysmal...I'll just picture myself back on those beaches...oh!" He looked up to me. "Sorry. The name's Yuuta Erotomi!"

I smiled and shook his hand. "Good to meet you, Yuuta."

"I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Fisherman, though...my rod was stolen…" He sighed, looking down. "Now...I'm a _Super-Useless Fisherman_ …"

I patted Yuuta on the shoulder for comfort. "Don't worry, bud. I'm sure we'll get your rod back, and everyone's precious items as well."

Lastly, I looked over to the girl standing besides him. She was wearing an apron, with a wide range of pink colors from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Her strawberry blond hair was tied neatly behind her head. "And you are?"

"Hello there, it's nice to meet you!" She spoke softly, but excitedly. "I normally like to treat new friends with a fresh batch of cookies, but...I don't have any now...Don't worry, I'll remember to bake you some one I have the chance, hehe!"

I chuckled lightly, giving her a thumbs up. "Sure. I can't wait. Your talent is...baker?"

"Super-Highschool-Level Patisserie." She smiled. "My name is Anne Kimidori…and my recipe book is gone."

Just like I had promised Yuuta, I comforted Anne. "We'll find it, and then you'll cook us some of those sweets, right?"

Seeing that perhaps the two wanted some space, being distanced from everyone else, I nodded and stepped away. "Take care, then."

I walked over back towards the main group, to Riko. She smiled, reassuringly. "We've got a plan going, Kozaki."

Thoughtfully, I nodded. "Yeah?"

"Zraiko knows a lot about hacking, so maybe he can find a way to contact authorities for help." Riko turned to Zraiko for confirmation. "That's it, right?"

"...sure." He crossed his arms. "Maybe I'll be able to find a way to get the pad to send an SOS. Though...if this place doesn't even have service, we'll need to find some other way…"

The lights in the room suddenly dimmed, filling the area with a nighttime ambience.

"It-is-now-eleven-PM. Twenty-three-military." Monobotto's monotone voice rang over speakers. "Unless-you-were-instructed-to-go-to-the-observatory-you-will-head-to-your-rooms. If-not...you-will-regret-it."

Riko looked over to me worriedly. "Why are only a select few going to the observatory?"

"Beats me…" I sighed, crossing my arms. "It...has me scared, to be honest…"

As the crowd began to dwindle, Riko slowly placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey...tell me what happens there. Maybe it has the secret to escape?"

I nodded. "Sure, just remember to ask me about it."

Riko pulled away and walked over to her dorm room, opening it. She paused and looked back to me. "Thanks for trying to help me get everyone together…" She checked to see if any other people were still around, then whispered, "You're a good person at heart. Don't let your arsonist ways define you. Take care of yourself, Kozaki."

Watching her close the door, I sighed and began to walk towards the library's second floor entrance.

* * *

Climbing up the spiral staircase as directed, I reached the top floor of the library containing the observatory. The area was locked behind a grand set of doors, to which Fraize and Mei were waiting nervously and on edge. Looking to the side, I could see Sayino was also in queue.

"You're up first, Kozaki." Sayino nodded. "Whatever happens, well...stay safe."

I looked towards Fraize, who tried to encourage me with a determined nod. Then to Mei, who simply nodded to me. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I nodded and slowly entered the room.

With the doors closing behind me, the room was pitch dark.

Absolute silence.

Unable to hear the voices from outside, I figured it was a soundproof room.

My gut was telling me to get out, but when I reached for the handles, the doors were locked. I almost shit myself when the lights in the room suddenly turned on. Turning around, there was a single chair facing a large panel, humming with energy.

"There-you-are."

Startled, I jumped to the side to see Monobotto starting at me with its soulless, glassy eyes.

"Hurry-up. We-are-behind-schedule." The robot rolled over towards the chair. "Have-a-seat."

Although I had absolutely no reason to trust Monobotto, I feared for the worst if I were to disobey its commands. Nervously, I approached the chair, my footsteps echoing louder in my mind the closer I got. Upon sitting onto the chair, I looked over to the robot.

"Why-are-you-so-tense-?" Monobotto did not have the ability to express facial expressions, but if it did...I would assume that it would be grinning upon me. "That-look-in-your-eyes. Your-rising-pulse. I-would-not-have-imagined-you-ever-quite-so-afraid. How-strange."

I didn't return Monobotto a reply, instead looking forward towards the monitor.

"Do-you-know-what-this-observatory-is-for-?" Monobotto rolled over towards a computer.

"To observe, into space." I replied, tenser than my veins. "This damn sure doesn't look like an observatory."

"You-are-correct. You-are-also-incorrect." Monobotto turned back towards me as the monitor pulled up, revealing the deep vastness of space.

My eyes widened, cold sweat slipping from my forehead down my face. In front of me was the outer space, its endless horizon only cut off by the window framed for my viewing. It wasn't just the overwhelming panorama that rendered me silent, but the contents that were in it. The sun's light touched my eyes, and Earth...barely in view.

"Th...That's…"

Monobotto swiftly brought the monitor back to cover the window. "Oh-dear. I-was-not-supposed-to-show-you-that. Perhaps-you-would-best-keep-it-a-secret."

"No, you tell me right now what the hell is going on here!" I tried to jump off the chair, but I was suddenly restrained around my arms and waist. That didn't stop me from throwing questions, it only raised my tension and fear. "Where the fuck are we?! Is this a-?!"

My body was suddenly pulled back as the chair folded backwards to a position like a dentist's chair.

"You-should-watch-your-mouth-Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto rolled over towards me. "Now-just-close-your-eyes."

Struggling in the chair, I clenched my teeth while turning to Monobotto. "Fucking let me out of here, I...I'll…"

I was silenced upon seeing Monobotto pull out a mask, causing memories to flash. Monobotto waved the mask in front of my face, tauntingly. "You-were-incorrect-about-the-intention-of-this-observatory."

"Oh, am I?" I snarled, trying to shift my body towards Monobotto. "Please, clue me in then, you bucket of bolts."

"The-one-that-is-being-observed-is-not-space. It-is-yourself." Monobotto rotated its head around, for no apparent reason. "Kozaki-Daisuke." It stopped and looked to me. "You-are-not-downloading-Zepto-properly. We-must-fix-that."

"Wh...what the hell is 'Zepto?'" I pushed my body away from Monobotto, worriedly.

Flipping the mask over, it was apparent Monobotto would not answer me. "Enough-questions. Kozaki-Daisuke. You-are-buggy." Monobotto beeped. "You-will-now-be-cleared-for-the-procedure."

My eyes widened frantically as Monobotto pressed the mask against my face. I tried to yell out, I tried to fight, _I_ _tried to manage_ _ **something**_...but it was futile. My eyes now closing, I fell into darkness.

Falling...falling...falling…

It's pointless, pointless…

It started raining bullets, each one leaving a trail of neon lights behind them. Warping around my body, I felt no use in reaching to them. I felt no use in doing anything besides allowing for my body to be carried wherever outside forces pleased. There was no ground to smack against, it was eternal slipping.

Behind me, a counter started flashing numbers counting upward. Rapidly increasing before slowing down dramatically.

Fifty...

Fifty one….

Fifty two...

Fifty three...

…The world started to tear apart, glitching and bleeding color violently.

Then silence. A deep, blinding magenta light.

Fifty four.

All lights were suddenly on me as a final bullet was shot.

* * *

Sitting up rapidly, I gasped and clutched my head, breathing unsteadily.

Looking down, I found myself back in my dorm bed clad in ducky pajamas.

* * *

~End of Prologue Part 2~


	3. Labyrinth of my Absolution Daily Life 1

Chapter One ~ Labyrinth of my Absolution

* * *

Slowly climbing out of bed, I leaned against the stand where my clothes were once again folded neatly. My head was aching, more violently than before. Sighing, I brushed my hands through my hair and noticed a basket full of towels placed onto a shelf across the room. It also contained shampoo and conditioner, scented orange and passionfruit respectively. I suppose it was a suggestion to take a shower, since before I arrived I was out in the rain.

Morning bell. I suppose I slept through it. After all, I always tend to sleep in late.

Taking off my necklace slowly, I slipped it under my pillow and placed my hand on top for a while. Since I had lied about being a jeweler, I would have to keep it off...probably until I got outta here. I hated the idea, as this necklace was all I had left of naive dreams, but... it's better to be missing the feeling of it around my neck than for them to find out it's a fucking flamethrower I'm lacking instead.

Picking up the basket, I slipped on my shoes and walked out of the room, looking for a direction to the men's restroom. Walking around the railway of the stairs, I entered the bathroom. Inside was a long sink, a single urinal against the far wall, two toilets, and one shower.

Luckily, it wasn't occupied. I stepped in and closed the large curtain behind me.

Placing the basket inside a slot in the wall with a mini glass door, I slowly took off my pajamas and replaced the shampoo bottles with them, then closing said door. Pulling the lever, I was splashed with freezing water before the temperature slowly climbed up. I brought it to the hottest the water would go, and started to wash myself.

When I finished my shower, I gathered my things neatly. Wrapping the larger towel around my lower body, I attempted to wrap my hair in the smaller towel... though I had no success. Sighing, I dropped it into the basket and opened the curtain, coming face-to-face with Fraize.

"O-Oh, K-Kozaki?!" Fraize blushed, carrying his own basket of shower items. He was currently dressed in avocado pajamas, with little smiling chips floating around. Looking at his night outfit distracted me with hunger, but I snapped back to reality when I looked up to him. Seeing his face bright red caused me to blush as well. "F-Fraize?"

Fraize gulped and clutched his basket. "I-I just...yo necesito l-limpiar…"

"S-Sorry." I quickly stepped out of the way. "S-Shower's nice and warm now. I-I...I'm gonna...go…"

Embarrassed, I dashed out from the bathroom and sprinted across the hall, flying into my dorm room. Shutting the door behind me, I covered my eyes and kneeled onto the ground. I've never had to share a living space with so many people before, I had completely forgotten about them for the moment.

Finding a clean set of underwear in a drawer besides the shelf, I put on my clothes and sat on my bed to ponder.

If it weren't for it being a killing game, this could've made for...a nice camp or something. Meeting people from all over the world, bonding...I could've made some nice friends here.

But...if it's a killing game...can I really risk getting close to people?

What if they play into my insecurities?

What if they kill me because I'm vulnerable?

I looked up as I heard knocking on my bedroom door. "Who is it?"

"I just wanted to check on you." The voice belonging to Neizami spoke. "I noticed you were running across the hall, kinda scared. I-Is everything alright?"

"O-Oh…" I placed my hands into my pockets, looking down. "Y-Yeah…"

Neizami paused for a moment. "...Hey, breakfast is ready. We're eating together in the dining room, okay?"

Where was the dining room again? Second floor...Left Wing?

"Anyways, see you there." Neizami walked away.

Standing up from my bed, I sighed and walked to the door, pulling my hood over my head once more.

I was just about ready to leave, when I noticed my Bottolet laying on the nightstand. I didn't want to risk scolding for not having it, so reluctantly I slipped it into my inner hoodie pocket.

Now then...Eating breakfast with other people? I didn't even eat with my parents.

...My parents...what's going on with them? Do...do they miss me? Are they...looking for me?

How long have I been gone for? Will they ever find me?

My gut twisted when I thought about it, so I decided it was best go to and eat.

* * *

The dining room was packed. With sixteen chairs, everyone had a place around the table. Seeing there was a spot next to Riko, I decided it would be best to sit besides her. She was the one I trusted the most, after all.

Even though I did bring it upon myself, with her knowing my secret and all…

"Hey, Kozaki." Riko smiled, warmly. "Anne cooked us breakfast. There's crepes, muffins…"

I looked around, admiring all the baked goods. "Anne did all this?"

"Yup." Anne smiled, shyly. "That...is my talent, hehe."

I decided to take a crepe, one filled with chocolate and strawberries. The first bite was bold in sweetness, with oddly some hints of salt. It was mesmerizing as I continued through the second bite to the last. "Wow...that's super good."

"Oui, these are fantastic!" Weise declared as he helped himself. It was quite disgusting to see him stuffing himself with his fourth and fifth crepes.

"U-Uh...don't choke there, buddy…" I watched, feeling uneasy.

Upon finishing his last crepe, Weise wiped his mouth with a table cloth and neatly laid it onto the table. "Hmm...this was quite the inspiring experience. Perhaps I will jot it down for later use…"

The dining room was filled with chatter, each student gleefully finishing up eating and just having some time to talk about stuff.

"Kozaki? Aren't you going to...eat something else?" Kamiyaki asked, worriedly. I had just noticed she was also sitting besides me. "You've only had one crepe."

"W-Well…" I sighed, looking down. "I normally don't eat much...I'll just save a muffin for later…"

Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of a notification beep. We all nervously pulled out our Bottolets to see a message from Monobotto.

"Rules..." Sayino read, her lip quivering lightly. "Of the killing game…"

None of us had any interest in reading the rules, as none of us had any interest in killing others.

"I...I don't want to read it." Yuuta shook his head, placing his Bottolet onto the table. "There's...gotta be another way. Maybe if we solve that puzzle, we can get out?"

"But that puzzle is extremely risky." Soro shook his head. "We'd be damned not to wait to be rescued."

Sighing, I opened the message.

"K-Kozaki?" Riko looked over to me, worriedly.

I looked over to Riko. "If we don't read the rules, we might break them without ever knowing. Surely then we'll be killed. That's...what I think, anyway…"

With heavy tension in the air, I began to read the message to myself.

 **Always have your Bottolet on hand or nearby. While you won't be in trouble for not having it, there may be a time where all students must be notified of something, to which it may be crucial to be 'kept in the know.'**

 **Students will live in the Killing Odyssey during the events of the killing game.**

I figured that whatever this place is must've been said 'Killing Odyssey.' But...what the hell did that mean? What kind of name is that meant to be, for a prison no less?

 **Every forty-eight hours, a new puzzle and Mono-shift will be installed into their respective rooms.**

 **Each Mono-shift has its own unique rules, which will be posted in the room.**

 **The puzzle room contains key items to regaining your stolen item, as well as finding a way to escape.**

 **Have caution. If you enter the puzzle, you cannot exit unless you complete it.**

 **If you break the puzzle rules, run out of time, or give up, you will be killed.**

Nervously, I gulped. Even attempting the puzzle would lead to a high chance of death.

 **In the case of a murder, students will have time to investigate before holding a class trial.**

 **A body is discovered if three people come across it.**

 **If the blackened is caught, he or she will be promptly executed.**

 **If the blackened is incorrectly selected, he or she will be free to escape while the rest of the students are executed.**

 **If the killing game persists, class trials will be held until two students remain. Those two said students will be able to escape.**

 **Night time is from twenty three military to nine military. This will impact certain rooms, such as the Mono-shift room.**

 **If you commit any acts of violence towards Monobotto, you will be swiftly eliminated.**

 **Monobotto will not commit any acts of violence towards you students.**

 **Do not break your Bottolets as they are essential items, of which are irreplaceable. You will receive swift elimination in such a case.**

 **New rules may be added if ever seen as needed.**

Frowning, I decided to turn off the alarm of my Bottolet. Notifications my ass.

I then slowly placed my tablet onto the table and sighed. "No fuckin' way…"

Everyone exchanged glances, silently. Riko shook her head and tried to find a change of subject. "Say, Kozaki?"

"Huh?" I looked over to her.

"The observatory last night...what was in it?"

I felt at my head, trying to squeeze out a memory. "I...remember going through a set of doors...inside...inside was…" I sighed and looked down. "I...don't think I can remember anything at all…"

Nodding silently, Riko looked away. "That's what they said, too. Fraize, Mei, and Sayino...nobody can remember anything."

Biting my lip, I crossed my arms. "Monobotto...it was there. I remember…"

Riko looked back over to me. "Monobotto?"

I squinted my eyes shut, desperately trying to remember what happened to me. "...There...was a huge...window."

Everyone looked over in my direction when I opened my eyes again.

"What was outside, Kozaki?" Tikari asked, hopeful. "Mountains? The ocean? A city?"

"...It…was..." Sighing, I shook my head. "...Dark. It was dark outside. I don't remember if it was because of it being night time, or...for some other reason...it made me feel...cold…"

Kamiyaki looked up towards the ceiling. "Hey, don't feel bad. You're lucky to remember as much as you did." She smiled while looking back to me. "So, cheer up, okay?"

Riko nodded and placed a hand onto my shoulder. "Thanks for sharing, Kozaki."

"Then…"

We all looked over as Mest, the often silent one, suddenly spoke.

"Let's make a plan." Mest turned to Zraiko. "You spent last night working on a program, right?" Zraiko nodded. "Heh...guess you caught me sneaking around upstairs last night. Or rather, we caught each other."

"What do you mean?" I asked them.

Mest nodded. "Zraiko and I both were using the student shift rooms last night."

Zraiko crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "That room has the fastest computers I've ever seen. I got right to work, trying to contact the outside world in anyway."

Ingreis smiled. "Ah! So I will be home in time for the ice skating contest, then?"

"N...No." Zraiko sighed and shook his head. "This place...has some of the weirdest code security I've ever seen. It's written in a language I've never seen before, which says a lot since I knew almost every language back home."

Disappointed, Ingreis looked away. "Oh...that was not the result I was hoping for."

"I spent last night trying to learn the code." Zraiko took off his glasses and yawned, rubbing his face. "I've made...not a lot of progress, unfortunately."

Standing up from my seat, I pointed to Zraiko. "Let me into your shift room."

"What?" He blinked, dumbfounded.

Mei rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Daisuke, you're not the one with the programming talent."

I shook my head. "Zraiko's found a path that will get us out of here. Even if it's a long shot, I want to invest my time into it." I frowned. "I'm not going to die here, certainly not without a fight."

"While you do that," Soro also stood up, "I'm going to use my keen eye to good use, and take a close look around everything."

Riko smiled and also stood up. "Let's have two groups, then. One group goes with Zraiko to his shift room. The other one looks around this whole place to find some clues."

With the students in consensus, we all flowed out of the dining room with a rekindled determination.

* * *

As we reached the two student shift rooms, I looked over to Mest. "Hey, Mest?"

The tattoo artist looked at me, silently.

"What were you doing in your shift room last night?" I asked him.

Mest simply shrugged.

"M-Mest?" Kyohi asked, nervously, as he trailed behind us.

"Equipment." Mest nodded, simply. "Wanted to check them."

Sayino nervously blinked, walking besides us. "And...how was the equipment?"

Mest did not respond.

"M-Mest?" I bit my lip. "Did you...not like it?"

"No." Mest stopped. "I did like it. It is...satisfactory."

Zraiko coughed into his shoulder as he leaned against the wall of one of the shift rooms. "Well, shall we?"

Swiping his Bottolet across a scanner on the door's spy hole, Zraiko opened the door to his shift room. There was minimal lighting, all produced by the many screens of computers around a single desk. We each stepped inside, Sayino closing the door behind us. With various bean bag chairs scattered about, Zraiko jumped on top of one and leaned back. "Since I've been working all night, I'll just take a rest here."

Kyohi frowned very lightly and crossed his arms. "Gosh, Zraiko. I don't know how to code."

"Why are you here, then?" The hacker sighed, unenthused.

Walking over to the computer, I pulled out the rolling chair and had a seat. The cushioning was soft, tucking my shoulders gently. Opening up the command menu, I watched Zraiko's scripts fly across the screen.

"Wowzers." Sayino crossed her arms and leaned forward above my head - as she was standing behind the chair. "You did all that in one night?"

The only response from Zraiko was snoring. We turned to see Kyohi gently placing a blanket on top of him. I figured he must've pulled it out from inside another bean bag chair.

Mest pointed to the screen, redirecting my attention. I could see he wanted me to look at the security code besides Zraiko's tinkering.

Even though I knew nothing about programming, I felt like there was some kind of sense to be made by the code. Perhaps...a puzzle…?

I was afraid to mess with the code, so I decided to write our resident hacker a note full of ideas. "Kyohi?"

Kyohi walked over, eager to help. "Yeah, Kozaki?"

"You think you can find some paper and pens here?" I turned to him. "I wanna write down some ideas."

Kyohi nodded and began to dig around the room, opening and closing shelves. He returned with a pad of sticky notes and two black ink pens. "How is this?"

"Perfect." Sayino smiled and took the items. "Kozaki, tell me what to write and I'll take care of it."

Nodding, I looked back to the monitor. "Looks like a puzzle. There's different numbers around, and I think he has to solve an equation. If we run the program, we get a graph, so perhaps we need to…"

"Take the derivative." Mest jumped in. "Then take that value, place it back into the equation. Get a new value, place it into the code, find the right frequency to disrupt the software, then…"

Mest must've stopped as he noticed we were all looking at him, quite amazed.

"I didn't know you knew so much about code, Mest." Kyohi smiled.

Mest simply shrugged in response.

"It's not all coding language." Sayino turned to Kyohi. "Before I dropped out, I was in a Calculus class. We did stuff with derivatives and the like."

"Ohh, I see." Kyohi nodded, genuinely interested in her story.

I decided to take the sticky notes from Sayino's hands and continue jotting the notes myself. Meanwhile, she and Kyohi pulled two bean bag chair together and had a nice conversation about Sayino's highschool life.

"...Kozaki." Mest whispered.

Startled, I looked over to him. "Y-Yeah?"

Mest motioned towards the code on screen. "This program…"

I squinted my eyes in attempt to understand what Mest was hinting towards. Looking back to the screen, I blinked. "...You know...this code looks familiar to a newly created programing language from about nine years ago."

Nodding, Mest whispered again. "This language wasn't introduced into Japanese companies yet. Perhaps that is why Zraiko was unfamiliar with it."

I blinked. "Oh? Where is it from?"

Mest sure took his time to respond, as though he wanted to make sure he was giving me the right answer. "... It's used mostly in German engineering language."

I decided not to press Mest for more information and wrote down the final note. "That'll do, right? But how will Zraiko find a way around it if he doesn't even know the language?"

Simply shrugging, Mest motioned to the bean bag chairs. "He's sleeping for a reason."

I suppose that meant Zraiko would teach himself the language before using it, even if it rendered him completely burnt out. While he may be a jerk, I had a newfound appreciation for him.

* * *

"Wow, Mik. I didn't know your dad was a mechanical engineer." I marveled, stars in my eyes. "That sounds so cool!"

Mikanne and I sat down together next to the fireplace of his home, the heat just touching me gently.

"Yeah, he works on making all these cool robot things!" Mikanne smiled, waving his arms excitedly. "I went to his work once for a 'Bring Your Kids' Day, and some of the things are huge! I bet they're even taller than trees!"

"Wow." I smiled, greatly intrigued. "That sounds like something out of a movie."

Mikanne hugged his knees and looked over to the fire, silently.

"Something on your mind, Mik?" I asked him, worried about his sudden shift in emotion.

"...Hey, Zaki? What if...I don't want to be an engineer?" Mikanne asked, without looking back to me.

"H-Huh?" I blinked, then scooching up to his side. "I thought you always wanted to be like your dad, right?"

"I...don't really think so anymore." Mikanne looked over to me, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames. "I want to study...design. I want to design things, but I don't think I could ever build them."

"So...then do it." I smiled. "Only you know what you want, right?"

Minanne sighed, smiling lightly. "It's not that easy, Zaki."

I looked at the fire, watching the embers whisp around.

"Hey, Zaki? How about you? What would you want to do when you're older?" Mikanne asked, interested in my perspective.

"...I want to study law." I looked over to Mikanne. "It pays well, if I can do it...I can help my family live well. I'll study super hard!" I pumped my fists, determined. "I'll get the best grades, I'll get scholarships, I'll go to law school...a-and when I finally have a badge…"

I stopped myself from continuing when I saw Mikanne looking slightly disappointed. His eyes were shifted to the side, he held his left wrist in slight discomfort. "...But do _you_ want it? Or are you doing it for your family?"

I didn't have a good way to respond, so I remained silent.

"What would you do if you...ended up not reaching that dream?" Mikanne questioned me. "Do you have...any other plans?"

Clutching my hands, I looked to Mikanne, lip trembling. "I don't...I don't ever wanna think about that, Mik. This is...the only plan I have. If it doesn't work...I'll…"

Mikanne wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "You always put others before yourself, Zaki. I wish...I could be like that. I feel like my dreams are selfish."

Looking to Mikanne, I shook my head. "No, Mik. Your family has the money for you to chase your dreams, so please...you'll do that for me, you promise?"

Mikanne smiled and hugged me tightly. "Zaki, when I make lots of money, I'll send some whenever you need it, okay?"

"Thank you, Mik…" I sniffled.

* * *

We decided to wait until Zraiko woke up before we left his shift room. With Kyohi escorting him to his dorm room - as their rooms were next to each other - that left myself with Mest and Sayino to meet up with the others to find out if they discovered anything.

Turning the corner in the hallway, we stopped to see that the Mono-shift room's door had changed.

"U-Uhh…" Sayino knocked on the door. "Was the door always...made of bamboo?"

The door was opened by Kamiyaki, dressed in a bathroom robe. Perhaps she found it in her room, as it was stylised for her bubbly personality with little polka dots splattered about. "Guys~! You've gotta see this!"

Nervously, I tapped my fingertips together. "Y-You're...using the room, K-Kamiyaki?"

"Yup! And the only rule here is that we shouldn't break anything." Kamayaki motioned to a notice put up on the wall. "We won't be killed for that, but it sounds like they don't have a penny to spare."

I frowned, crossing my arms. "Monobotto is probably scheming something. This room could be a trap!"

"Aw, c'mon~!" She clapped her hands together. "It doesn't have to be for murder, Kozaki. Look!" Kamiyaki pulled the door open to reveal a small group of students in bathrobes, all in in a buzz. "We can use it for spa day bonding!"

I peeked inside as Kamiyaki skipped back over to her seat besides Tikari. It seemed they were painting their nails red together. Meanwhile, Ingreis was applying makeup with Weise. Far in the back, Fraize was relaxing in a hot tub.

Sayino was mildly interested. "That hot tub _does_ look nice and warm…" She looked to the side. "I guess I'll...go put on a robe."

"You...you're serious, Sayino?" I turned to her, anxiously. "What if this is a trap?"

Sheepishly, she scratched behind her head with a smile, stepping towards the dorms. "Then I guess I'll be damned." With that, she eagerly took off.

Turning to Mest, I was hoping to find him sharing my concerns. "Don't you think this is just... _too conspicuous,_ Mest? My gut is telling me-"

Mest patted me on the shoulder and simply shook his head, then walking away.

Sighing, I pulled out my Bottolet to see a message from Monobotto. I guessed I should've reactivated the notification settings, but I wasn't in the mood to be bothered by it.

The message read, "To all students, the Mono-shift room will feature a spa for the next forty-eight hours. For that same duration of time, a puzzle has been set up."

I suppose I had received the message at least an hour ago, while we were still investigating Zraiko's shift room.

Continuing to read, there were more details on the puzzle. "Hidden somewhere on the Killing Odyssey is a clue to solving the puzzle. If you find it, you will receive a significant advantage. If you chose to solve the puzzle without it, then best of luck to you…"

There were no details on the puzzle itself. I suppose without the clue, one would be going in blind. Getting ready to leave, I was stopped by Weise. He took my hand and pulled me into the room, closing the door behind me.

"Hey, Kozaki. Come join us for a bit, no?" Weise smiled. "We could chat, do some bonding."

I allowed for him to pull me by the arm and into a seat. "W-What do you want to talk about, Weise?"

"I think this would be the perfect opportunity to freshen you up, Kozaki my friend!" Weise grinned and spun my seat to face a mirror. "I may not have a change of clothes for you, but you surely need some kind of...refreshing. Luckily, my skills are not exclusive to fashion design!"

"W-Wait a moment, Weise." I turned to him. "What are you-?"

"Sit down, Kozaki." Weise pushed me down into the chair. "Now then…we start with this!" He pulled off my hood to expose my wild, unruly hair. "Oh non, Kozaki! Do you have a bird living on your head?!"

"W-Weise, hold on-" I tried to say something, though he ignored me. I grew embarrassed as our little show was gathering everyone's attention in the room.

Weise picked up a comb and hair spray, attempting to make some sense with my hair. "Kozaki, no wonder you're always keeping a hood on! It looks like you've never brushed it in your life!"

"W-What? Of course I-" I winced as Weise began to work out some knots. "Ow, hey! Watch what you're- OW! Stop that!"

Sayino suddenly entered the room, dressed in a black robe. She walked by and dipped her feet into the hot tub, then looking over to us. "Woah, that's some pretty funky hair you've got, Kozaki."

"Oui, it's such a mess!" Weise continued to comb through it. "I'm actually beginning to worry you let birds live on your head!"

"W-What?!" I frowned. "No, not at all! I- OW!"

"Reste tranquille. If you keep wiggling around like some worm, your hair might rip off!" Weise shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm almost finished."

R...Reste...what? What was he saying?

I bit my lip as Weise tugged at my hair, desperate not to scream out in pain. "A-Are you done?"

"Kozaki, it's only been a few minutes." Weise sighed, still untangling my hair. "Now then, how about you tell me the name of your pet bird?"

I frowned, lightly. "I don't have a pet- OW!"

There was a wave of giggles around the room while Weise wrapped up. "Hmm...hmm...I suppose this will do." He put down the hair spray and comb and crossed his arms, thoughtfully. "What's with this piece of hair that keeps sticking up like a sore thumb?" He poked at the hair in question. "Ahoges were five years ago, Kozaki!"

"I-It's not on purpose!" I defended. "My hair just...naturally does it. Besides, I'm not the only one here with one! Hell, y-you even have three!"

Weise smiled, pridefully. "Three thin ahoges are all the rage in Paris right now, my friend. Oui, I was the trendsetter."

My face absolutely red, and I immediately wanted to pull the hood over my head. However, it would leave me with complete guilt to ruin Weise's hard work.

"Hey, Kozaki." Fraize smiled, encouragingly. "Tú pelo es bueno! It's good to see your real face now."

I looked over to him. "Y-You think so?"

"You look revitalized now, eh?" Tikari smiled.

Kamiyaki clapped her hands together. "The look really suits you, I think Weise did a fantastic job!"

"It looks good, Kozaki. No need to hide under your hood anymore." Sayino gave me a thumbs up.

Even Ingreis had something to say. "...It's much better than you walking around like you're about to rob a bank."

"G-Gee...thanks…" I muttered, hoping that it was meant to be a compliment.

Weise grinned. "Now then!" He pulled out a bottle of mascara. "Come on, Kozaki! You'll put on makeup now for me, oui?"

I leapt out of the chair, fearful of Weise unleashing his creativity upon me. "N-No, that's enough!"

Puffing his cheek, Weise pouted, "Are you saying my makeup job is pas bon?"

...Is it just me...or...did Weise speak a bit more French than he did yesterday?

...Idiot, Kozaki. I must be overthinking this…

Wait...W-What...what did that mean anyway, pas bon?

Shit...did that mean something bad?

How do I respond?!

"N-Not at all! It...it doesn't look bad!" I waved my hands, defensively...also praying that I was responding correctly. "Y-You look fantastic! I...I just have to g-go…"

Quickly, I bolted out of the room and scurried all the way back to my dorm room, shutting the door behind me with a sigh.

* * *

"Kozaki, how did you even manage to get your hair tangled like this?" My mother asked as she pulled out various leaves and twigs. "It's like a bird decided to build a nest up in there!"

"I was just climbing some trees, Mom." I moaned, placing my hands onto my cheeks and crouching over.

"What if you've got bugs in there, Kozaki?" She sighed, taking me by the arm and leading me to the bathroom. Undressing me, I climbed into the tub while she turned on the water.

"It's cold, Mom." I frowned, shivering.

My mother gently splashed the water to my feet. "It'll get nice and warm, Kozaki. Now let's get you washed up."

I looked upwards in no particular direction as my mother scrubbed my hair with shampoo. "Hey, Mom?"

"Yes, Kozaki?" My mother asked me.

I closed my eyes. "Should I go study law, Mom?"

My mother paused for a moment. "Go study law? Why do you want to do that, Kozaki?"

"So we have money." I looked over to her. "I want us to have enough money so that we can have nice things. Maybe we can have a newer house, or...new clothes, I could have more toys, we could get a new TV, and...we could...we could be well off, Mom." I looked back down. "We could…"

My mother sighed and rinsed the soap out from my hair. "Kozaki...please don't worry about your father and myself. Don't let us stop you from chasing your dreams."

"But Mom...this is my dream." I looked back to her. "Maybe not being a lawyer, but...we will have money, then. It's the best paying job right now!"

Silently, my mother rubbed my hair with a towel, then wrapping it around my body.

Leading me back to my bedroom and changing my clothes, I asked her, "Don't you...want to have a good amount of money, Mom?"

"Kozaki." She sighed, now combing my hair. "Yes, it would be nice to have more money. But, I don't want your father and I...to burden you."

"Burden me?" I asked, not understanding. "But Mom...I want to help you. I...want you to be happy, and...not have to worry so much anymore."

Tucking me into bed, my mother stroked my hair and kissed my forehead. "It's okay, Kozaki. I'll be happy as long as you are. Now sleep tight and sweet dreams. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." I said softly as I watched her turn off the lights and close the door.

* * *

I calmly sat down on my bed and took out my necklace, feeling it between my fingertips.

I fought the urge to put on the necklace, knowing too well that having the immediate impression of being a liar would surely harm my reputation.

With a knock at the door, I quickly slipped the necklace back under the pillow. "Who is it?"

Riko's voice greeted me. "It's me, Riko. May I come in?"

"Go ahead." I nodded.

Riko stepped into my room, closing the door behind her. "Oh, Kozaki! You took your hood off."

"Well...more like Weise did…" I held my right arm with a sigh.

"It looks good." She smiled, then sitting besides me on the bed. "I wanted to speak with you in private, if it's alright."

I looked to the side, carrying a sigh. "Sure…"

Riko followed my gaze to the pillow. "You're hiding your necklace, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I have to." I shook my head. "But...it doesn't mean I _want to._ " Feeling at my neck, my eyes squeezed shut. "I feel...incomplete without it."

Slipping her hand under the pillow, Riko took out my necklace and stood up. "Come on, then. We're going to your shift room."

"M-My shift room?" I gulped. "B-But, what would you want to do in a room built for an arsonist?"

"For an arsonist?" Riko shook her head. "Silly Kozaki, you're a jeweler." She winked. "And you and I are going to… 'make' you a necklace."

I allowed for Riko to take my hand and lead me all the way to the student shift rooms. Checking to make sure nobody was around, I swiped my Bottolet to the spyhole and opened the door.

Instantly beeing blasted by a heatwave, I stepped inside with Riko behind me. As she closed the door, I marveled at the sight. "Holy shit...look at all this..."

There was a small garden, with three different kinds of trees growing there. I was surprised by how tall they were, let alone how they even managed to be in the room. There was a birch tree, an oak tree, and even an apple tree with ripe fruit. To the side, a stack of beams with metal scraps around them. Not far away, gasoline was lined up against the wall. In the place of chairs, large rocks were scattered across the room. Lastly, there were sets of matches and lighters. The only thing missing...an actual flamethrower. To fulfill my need for a sense of security, I slipped a box of matches into my pocket.

A... _small_ means of defending myself, but it was better than nothing.

Plucking an apple from the tree, I rubbed it against my hoodie and took a bite. "Empire...those are my favorite…"

Riko picked an apple and peered at it with curiosity. "You don't wash them first?"

"Eh." I shrugged, biting it again. "If Monobotto isn't allowed to hurt us and I die, then at least you'll escape because it would be breaking its own rules."

Sighing, Riko took a bite of the apple. She suddenly smiled and looked over to me, "These are really good, Kozaki. I'm not quite used to the crunch."

"No?" I looked over to her.

"Apples from back home are a bit softer." She took a seat on a nearby stone. "Why does your room have these trees, Kozaki?"

"I have three guesses. My dad's a lumberer." I sat down on another rock and crossed my legs. "Picking the right wood is important when lighting a fire. Also...I love to climb trees all the time, too."

"So...Kozaki." Riko placed my necklace onto my neck gently. "You made this necklace, okay? Just now in your shift room." She sighed. "I...really hate lying, but I'll help you out this one time."

Nodding thoughtfully, I smiled. "I swear I'll honor your help, Riko."

Suddenly, the door to my shift room was opened. Riko and I simultaneously turned to see Kyohi standing in the doorframe.

"U-Umm...guys?" Kyohi asked.

Without even thinking, I rushed over and pulled Kyohi into the room and slammed the door shut. "Damn it! Is there no way to lock these doors?!"

Riko slowly walked over to speak with Kyohi while I was fuming about the lock situation. She patted him on the shoulder gently. "Kyohi, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you guys were okay. It's lunch time…" Kyohi looked around. "Who's shift room is this?"

Riko looked over to me as I finally found how to lock the door. Doing so, I then sighed and turned to face Kyohi. "It's...mine."

"This doesn't look like a jewelry store." He blinked, eyes filled with naivete. "What is this place?"

Walking over to Kyohi, I motioned for him to have a seat on one of the rocks. Meanwhile, Riko picked up an apple to hand to Kyohi, perhaps for comfort. With all of us sitting down, I crossed my arms. "It's because...I'm not a jeweler."

"But...that's your talent, right?" Kyohi blinked once more.

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes. "I lied. I...couldn't let anyone know my...real talent."

Kyohi looked down to the side. "Does...your talent... _hurt people_?"

"No, absolutely not." I tried to be reassuring. "I don't want to use it to hurt people. But...people might assume otherwise. Especially now…"

Laying down across the rock, Kyohi looked upwards and took a bite of his apple. "...What is your talent, then?"

I looked over to him, desperation in my eyes. "Swear you won't tell anyone."

"I…" Kyohi sat up slowly, looking at me. "...Okay."

Nodding, I sighed. "Kyohi...I'm an arsonist. I...light stuff on fire. All kinds of stuff. People...they might think I might be very capable of killing...but I swear, I don't want that for anyone."

Standing up, Kyohi didn't acknowledge what I had said. "...Let's go eat lunch. Everyone is waiting."

Silently, I followed Riko and Kyohi out of my shift room, swiping my Bottolet to reset it. By the time I made it to the dining room, there were only three seats left to pick. I chose to sit at the head of the table. Then entered Anne, and Yuuta was the last one to arrive.

I didn't speak during the meal. Not to compliment Anne for her salmon en croute, nor to ask how the investigations were. I shut the world out.

Being the first to finish eating, not even having seconds, I pulled away from the table unnoticed by everyone. I felt a sense of guilt, especially with how Riko and Kyohi were now covering for me. Telling everyone I had created a new necklace...my gut twisted, I was disgusted with myself.

* * *

I wanted to find a way to redeem myself in some way. It came to me that I had to go back to the observatory, I had to find out what was there. Climbing up the stairs from the second floor of the library, I stood in front of the grand set of doors.

Locked.

Closing my eyes, I sat down and leaned against the wall. I couldn't even be useful when I tried to be. All these people...they're all too kind to me.

And what have I done in return besides lying to them?

I looked over to see the door suddenly crack open. This was my chance, I told myself. Even if it was stupid, I went inside.

Something about the room didn't feel right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The single chair in the middle of the room being surrounded by monitors was...unsettling to say the least.

The door suddenly closed, I turned to see Monobotto rolling towards me. "Kozaki-Daisuke. Back-so-soon-?"

Slowly taking out my Bottolet, I opened the messenger app to text Riko. "So soon, you say?"

"Well-after-all. You-were-here-just-yesterday." Monobotto stopped in front of me. "What-are-you-doing-? Don't-you-know-the-rule-?"

"Rule?" I looked downwards and blinked. "The Bottolet didn't say anything about observatory rules."

"Rules-can-be-added-whenever-needed." Monobotto grabbed me by the arm and dragged me towards the chair. "The-observatory-forbids-communication-outside-the-room."

I gulped. "A-All I told Riko is how I'd like to sit down and talk later." I showed Monobotto my pad as proof. "See?"

Monobotto spun around slowly. "Kozaki-Daisuke." It stopped. "I-guess-we-could-do-something-useful. You-did-come-all-this-way-after-all."

"S-Something...useful?" I asked, nervously. "What do you mean?"

Pulling out a mask, Monobotto simply beeped. "Installing-Zepto-has-not-been-successful. Though-I-suppose-it-won't-hurt-to-try-once-again-?"

Eyes wide, I sent Riko an exclamation mark over the messenger, hoping she would know something happened to me. Monobotto then shoved the mask into my face, causing me to drop the tablet and pass out.

* * *

Sitting in the rain.

The water slipped down my body, my body stripped of everything.

I had nothing, nothing at all except just my self.

Someone keeps trying to take me away, to pull me down to the ground, to drown me in the rain.

A faceless siren placed one hand over my heart, the other over my mouth. I closed my eyes, I let her pull me under the water.

Waste of life…

I'm just waiting to drown, to fade…

Suddenly, I was out of the water, laying on a sandy beach.

I stood up, brushing the sand off my clothes. The sun was blazing from afar, and it seemed to only be moving farther and farther away.

I opened my mouth to yell, but no words came out.

Just.

More.

Water.

* * *

"Yuuta, I...don't think that pouring water on him is going to help."

"Sure it will, just watch and see!"

I opened my eyes, blinded by the immediate light in the room. Instinctively, I covered my face, groaning.

"Kozaki?"

Slowly pulling my hands away, I found myself sitting against the wall of the kitchen. Besides me were Yuuta, Anne, Soro, and Riko.

"Are you okay?" Riko knelt down, besides me. "I-I got your message, and...it sounded like you were in trouble."

"Got...my message?" I looked over to her.

Riko pulled out her Bottolet and showed me her messages. The text written in Romanian cyrillic suddenly morphed into Latin English right in front of my eyes. Feeling at my head, I read the short exchange of texts.

' _Riko, can we talk later sometime? Sit down? I found something about this place…'_

' _Sure. What place is it, by the way?'_

' _!'_

' _Something wrong?'_

It was followed by several messages, all from Riko.

' _Kozaki? Hello?'_

' _Is everything okay?'_

' _Why aren't you responding?'_

' _Hello?'_

' _Don't worry, I'm coming to find you now!'_

"Soro and I found you passed out, sitting in the library's first floor." Riko tapped her fingertips, worriedly. "At a desk, with a book open."

"A...a book?" I blinked.

Riko nodded. "It was a book about the history of astro-colonies…"

Feeling at my head, I groaned. Something about this...it wasn't right. I couldn't make sense of it, but...something in my mind was telling me…

"If the text said, 'something about this place,' and Kozaki was reading a book about astro-colonies…" Yuuta joined in the conversation. "Are...are we on a colony, i-in space?"

Scoffing, Soro shook his head. "T-That's gotta be a fuckin' joke there, pal. H-How do you think those screw-headed kidnappers even managed it?"

Anne looked towards the fridge in the kitchen. "A-And, if we are on a colony...why would only us be here? We have food that just suddenly appears in the fridge, we have running water, heat, all sorts of living needs. It's just...too expensive for sixteen students."

"Exactly that. Like hell a bunch of kidnappers would have the budget." Soro frowned.

"N-No...no…" I slowly stood up, feeling at my head. "The observatory...last night...what I saw…"

"That darkness…" Riko held her hands, her eyes growing wide. "Y-You mean...what you saw outside was...space?"

Silence.

Yuuta hugged himself, terrified. "I-If we're in space, then...I can't go fishing here!"

"Shut it about the fishing, we're trapped in space!" Soro gritted his teeth. "That means we're not _on Earth anymore._ So then, _who the hell is going to come rescue us? How the hell are we going to escape?_ "

Anne gulped. "I-If outside is only space, then...we have nowhere to escape to…."

Silence once more.

Defiantly, Yuuta shook his head. "No way. If we have rules from Monobotto, then it must have its own rules as well! After all, it's not allowed to kill us. So...maybe it's not allowed to lie to us either."

"Yuuta…" I shook my head. "I...I'm sorry, I just don't see that. That soccer ball of bolts is part of the program, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is lying just to get our hopes up and kill each other."

"So...what should we do?" Anne asked, feeling her apron. "Perhaps...we talk about it with everyone over dinner? I'll get started cooking."

Soro shrugged. "Certainly. Secrets only will cause tension to rise, and right now...we damn better trust each other so we can make a plan."

Feeling my right arm, I gulped. "Right then…"

"If it's okay, Anne?" Yuuta nodded. "I'll join you in the cooking a little later. I wanna show Kozaki the puzzle room."

With Anne nodding respectfully, I watched as Yuuta walked over to the door. "M-Me?"

"You know the most out of all of us right now, so I figure…" Yuuta smiled. "You should know about the puzzle."

* * *

Soro and Riko spread out through the building to grab everyone for dinner. At that same time, Yuuta and I walked from the Left Wing, through the dorms, and to the Right Wing towards the puzzle room.

"Say, Yuuta." I looked to him. "When Riko found me in the library, was there anything...strange about me?"

Yuuta crossed his arms in thought. "Well...I'm not sure. See, I joined Riko when I saw her trying to carry you out of the room. She was with Soro at the time, since his 'movie senses' were telling him where you might've been."

Soro, right. Riko did mention he was with her. "M-Movie...senses?" I blinked.

Yuuta nodded. "Soro thought you went to the observatory, judging by your behavior and the events from last night." Yuuta stopped by the Puzzle Room and looked to me. "I had just left the kitchen and was walking towards my dorm when I saw them."

"The kitchen?" I asked, curiously. "What were you doing?"

"Prepping dinner with Anne." Yuuta smiled. "She had me fillet the halibut, and we're going to cook it soon. Meanwhile, she was cutting the vegetables and preparing the sauce."

Nodding thoughtfully, I crossed my arms. "And you were going to your room because?"

Yuuta gulped, avoiding eye contact.

"Y-Yuuta?" I asked him, worried about his sudden shift in behavior.

"Well...truthfully…" Yuuta whispered to me, expressing himself with embarrassment. "I-I keep a little diary with me. See...I have a memory disorder."

"Memory...disorder?" I repeated, softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Yuuta shrugged. "Well...basically...memories of events slip out really quickly. Like...the shortest of short term memory loss. I left the book in my room by mistake when I went to the kitchen, so I went to go get it and quickly write about dinner prep."

"I see…" I nodded. "And so, you have it now."

Yuuta nodded, simply, then opening the door. "Don't step inside the room, I...I think it will trigger the puzzle to lock you in. Not for sure, but I wouldn't risk it."

Looking inside, I could see that the ground was seemingly twenty feet lower, with the walls of a maze sticking up to ground level. In front was a platform, one that seemed to lower into the maze.

"A maze…" I nodded and closed the door. "And no hint. I assume we have to just...solve the maze, right?" I then crossed my arms and spoke to myself. "But surely...there's more to it."

"We saw it this morning, while we were all investigating the place for clues." Yuuta turned to walk back to the kitchen. "Anne and I."

"Seems like you guys are growing close." I chuckled.

Yuuta grinned. "She loves cooking, and so do I. I think that's something to grow close over."

With that, Yuuta happily went back to the kitchen.

I slowly opened the door to the puzzle room, trying to find if there was anything else. To the side was a small room, seemingly to observe the maze. I wanted to have a closer look, but feared that I would trigger the puzzle room to trap me inside. Once more, I closed the door.

Now then...they found me in the library, huh?

Turning to face the first floor entrance, I apprehensively approached. Shaking my head with determination, I opened the door and walked in. I looked to see the desk in question where Riko and Soro had found me.

The book was still there, open. I decided to take a seat and see what exactly I had been reading, or rather...allegedly been reading.

Looking at the words did not cause anything to click in my mind, I had no idea why I lost memory of what I was doing.

...Could it be...perhaps I really went to the observatory?

It would be creating a pattern. Everytime a student goes to the observatory, they can't remember anything when they leave.

It was the same with Fraize, Mei, and Sayino.

My mind deadlocked now with knowing this book was a setup, I now wanted to know why.

The page left open was about something called…

Project Zepto.

Created just three years ago, according to the book. Integrated into each new colony. A program...installed into each citizen living in it.

...For what?

Installing Zepto…

I felt at my head again, sitting down in the chair to think.

Not installing it properly, I remembered...hearing those words.

What happens then, to the people who don't install it?

...What...happens to me?

I turned the page, hoping for more information, but it was blank. In fact...every page in the book except that one in particular was blank.

The fuck?

"Oops. I-left-the-book-out."

I looked up from the book to see Monobotto sitting in the opposite chair. The door to the library was closed, we were the only ones in the room. Nervously, I gulped. "M-Monobotto…"

It didn't respond to me at all, simply taking the book and tearing out each sheet slowly in front of me.

Page.

By.

Page.

Uneasily, I held my right arm and watched it start to slip the pages into its mechanical mouth, shredding the pages.

"Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto beeped in its usual monotone after...leaving only the cover in tact.

"Y-Yes?" I asked, gulping once more.

Monobotto got off the chair and rolled to the door, sprouting out an arm. It turned back to me and simply beeped, "Knowledge-is-power."

With that, Monobotto exited the room, leaving me to helplessly drown in my questions.

...Monobotto…

Why do I feel like...there's more about me that it knows... _even more than I know?_

* * *

Dinner was a blur in my mind. They all discussed the possibility of us being in a space colony thanks to my 'discovery' or whatever.

But all on my mind was the event that had occured only minutes ago.

Why has Monobotto been so...out of the picture?

Why...do I feel it's... _interested in me?_

I attempted to take a bite from the cooked halibut, only to miss my mouth and squish it against my nose.

"How indecent." Ingreis frowned, as she was sitting across from me.

Blinking, I moved the fork away from my face and wiped my nose with a tablecloth. "S-Sorry...I've been thinking too much."

Kamiyaki, sitting besides me once again, giggled. "Jeeze, Kozaki. Food enters the mouth, not the nose, silly~!"

Embarrassed, I sighed and had a sip of water. "I-I'm sorry…"

Fraize, sitting next to me on my other side, patted the back of my chair. "No problemo, Kozaki. You seem to have been through mucho hoy, through a lot today, amigo."

"Yeah...s-sure…" I sighed, taking a bite of my halibut. "I...have a lot on my mind."

Kamiyaki nodded, understandingly. "Being in space is a scary thought...I don't know what we're gonna do...will we even survive?"

I looked to the far end of the table to see Zraiko writing a lot of notes on a notepad. He seemed extremely focused, and oddly motivated by the new information. Almost...as if he was excited by the extreme challenge presented to us.

"Hey, Fraize." I looked over to 'mi amigo de Barcelona' with worry. "You also don't remember anything from the observatory, right?"

Fraize nodded, thoughtfully. "Si...I was the second to enter. Recuerdo que, I remember that...you weren't in the room. Fue preocupado cuando, I was worried when...I blacked out…"

Looking to see if nobody was looking to us, I whispered, "Does...Monobotto...stop by and see you at all?"

Fraize shook his head. "No...tengo esperanza que no…"

Turning back to my food, I harshly whispered to myself. " _Damn._ "

I decided to wait until after dinner to speak with Fraize some more. Holding him back in the dining room, he asked me, "Kozaki? Tienes una problema?"

"Hey...Fraize. Tomorrow morning, I...I'd like to speak with you, Mei, and Sayino. About...the observatory." I looked to the side. "...Monobotto, he's taunting me. I...I don't trust myself...I really need to talk with you guys."

Nodding understandingly, Fraize patted me on the shoulder. "Comprendo, Kozaki. I'll let them know."

With some relief, I walked back into my dorm room, brushed my teeth, changed into pajamas, and fell onto my bed.

Hearing the sounds of opening and closing doors, the dorm area grew silent as the night time bell rang.

Tomorrow.

I got under the covers and closed my eyes.

Tomorrow.

The world started to face away.

Tomorrow.

…

I'm going to try and find more about the observatory tomorrow.

I'm going to try and find out why I've been feeling so...unlike myself.

I'm going to do the puzzle tomorrow.

I'm...going to either finish it, or die trying.

Tomorrow...tomorrow…

Something big is happening tomorrow.

…

I needed to vindicate myself...to usurp the role as a trustworthy figure _they_ needed. Hopefully, the puzzle could be the remuneration to instigate faith...in myself.

...All on my mind now...is the question that I can't shake away. The ambivalence...the shadows of my mind…

Is there peace?

* * *

~Chapter 1 Daily Life 1 End~


	4. Labyrinth of my Absolution Daily Life 2

I didn't get very much sleep last night.

Something just never really felt right. I couldn't tell what it was, or why it just happened to be. Perhaps because I was thinking to much.

The morning bell caused me to sit up, wide-eyed. I yawned deeply, hoping I could just go back to sleep.

Another five minutes, I told myself.

But five minutes became ten minutes, and ten minutes became twenty. Had it not been for Neizami politely knocking on my door for breakfast, I may never have left the room.

I have to talk to them today, I need to find out what's going on here.

What's...going on with me?

Sitting at the dining table, I noticed that barely half of us were eating breakfast now. They say Yuuta overslept, and that Kamiyaki was baking with Anne downstairs. Soro was with Zraiko in his shift room working on the programming, and well...Mei was disinterested in us.

Sitting down next to Riko at the table, she smiled kindly. "Good morning, Kozaki. Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" I yawned, reaching for some milk to pour into my glass. "I could be better, though."

"Perhaps you should start by getting a healthy amount of sleep." Ingreis, who was also sitting besides me, grew extremely critical. "Not to mention, it's actually worse for you to sleep in than to wake up on time. Maybe your head would be in the game if you did that?"

"Gee...thanks…" I sighed, taking a bite of a muffin.

"So guys...any plans for today?" Sayino smiled, eating a crepe.

"I'd like to talk to you after breakfast, Sayino. With Mei and Fraize." I nodded. "About...well...you know…"

"No problemo, Kozaki." Fraize smiled warmly. "Whatever is worrying you, quiero ayudar."

"So you want to talk in secrets, hmm?" Ingreis took a bite of her crepe, then took a moment to chew and swallow it. "I don't suppose you also happen to...want to plan a murder?"

Frowning, I glared at Ingreis. "Why in the hell would I do that?!"

"Why need to speak privately?" She shrugged. "Or...perhaps there is information you wish to hide?"

"Lay off him, eh?" Tikari smiled. "Some people just need some space."

"This is a killing game, is it not?! I'm surely just trying to protect my keister!" Ingreis frowned and continued to eat.

"Come on, Ingreis." Riko stood up from the table and smiled. "Perhaps you should come with me to the spa, it'll help you calm down."  
"Oh yes." Tikari clapped. "I'll come with you, eh?"

Neizami giggled and also stood up. "I haven't been there yet myself, let's go together!"

With the girls minus Sayino going to the Spa, we wrapped up breakfast. Walking with Fraize and Sayino, we went to speak with Mei.

* * *

We found Mei sitting down by the fountain at the compass, tossing and catching a rock as she looked to the ceiling.

"Hey there, Mei." Fraize smiled. "Tienes un momento?"

"No tengo." Mei sighed, turning away. "Please, go away."

"It'll just be for a moment." Sayino smiled, sitting down besides Mei. Their height difference was quite incredible, going from the shortest in the group to the tallest. She patted Mei gently on the back. "We wanna talk about the observatory, alright?"

Frowning, Mei looked over to Sayino. "Makora, I already told you. I want to be alone."

Sighting, I decided to sit down and spark the discussion, hoping that Mei would join in. "You know...you already heard what I remembered. Fraize told me what he saw, so...how about you guys?"

Sayino crossed her arms and leaned back. "I was the third one to enter the room. Kozaki and Fraize...you guys weren't there. I wondered where you two were, so I walked around for a while. There was...a chair in the room, but I don't remember the rest."

We all turned to Mei, hopeful that she would tell us her perspective. She sighed and crossed her arms. "I entered last. Before I did, I heard someone walking on the steps. Didn't think much of it because they might've just been looking for a book to read from the library, since the steps sounded like they were from the very first floor."

I nodded, taking note. I figured it was Zraiko, as he may have been looking for a book to help him crack the mysterious programming of the Killing Odyssey. After all, he didn't sleep that night.

"As the pattern has it, nobody was in the room." Mei crossed her arms and leaned back. "Not Daisuke, not Kimizai, nor even Makora. Nope, you weren't there, not a single one of you."

Fraize sat besides me on the bench and looked over to Mei. "No más?"

"Mmm…" Mei shook her head. "No. Not unless you count all those monitors in the room."

Monitors, a chair, nobody else around…

I felt at my head, frowning.

"Do you remember something, Kozaki?" Sayino looked over to me. "You seem...bothered."

"It's just…" I sighed, crossing my arms. "...I remember being...strapped down to that chair. That's when I passed out."

The group all exchanged glances. Mei looked to me sharply. "So, Daisuke. About that book you were reading. What was in it?"

...That's right, that book that Monobotto planted onto me. I wasn't quite sure what to say about it, so I shrugged. "Well...I was reading something about colonies in space. There's something called Project Zepto. That's the last thing I read when I went back to check on the book. That was when Monobotto took the book from me and...ate it."

They all looked at me, bewildered. Sayino rubbed her chin. "Ah...so...what about it, then?"

I gulped, not sure if I should continue. "Well…"

I stopped myself when I looked up to see Anne, Weise, and Kamiyaki watching us from above the railing. Anne smiled and waved over to me. "Hey, Kozaki. We're going to prepare lunch, alright?"

Scratching my head, I nodded. "R-Right."

Anne hurried down the steps and stopped in front of me. "I need some help in the kitchen, would you like to join us?"

Looking back up to Weise and Kamiyaki, I suppose that Anne had recruited them. "Ah...alright then."

Mei sighed and rolled her eyes, turning back to the fountain. "Tell us about it later, Daisuke."

"S-Sure." I stood up from the bench. "See you at lunch."

Sayino and Fraize waved to me as I left with Anne. As I joined the new group, she giggled and lead us to the kitchen. "Come on, guys! We're going to make spaghetti of clams for lunch, alright?"

* * *

Inside the kitchen, she had us each put on an apron and wash our hands. Sitting at the kitchen table, we all listened to Anne explain her dish. "Kamiyaki, I want you to boil the water with some salt. Once it starts bubbling, drop the spaghetti in alright?"

Kamiyaki nodded and got to her feet. "Roger that." She then went to search for a pot in the room.

Anne turned to Weise. "I want you to hold on for now. You can plate the dish once it's ready, okay? With your...artistry!" She handed him a pencil and paper. "You can design how the plate looks like for now."

Weise bit the pencil by the side as he crossed his arms to think over the design.

"Kozaki." She turned to me with a smile. "I want you to cut the tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and garlic for the sauce. I'll prepare the clams, okay?"

"R-Right then." I nodded, a little nervous. I used to help my mother cook every now and again back home, I'm glad Anne didn't ask any more from me besides chopping the stuff up. Washing the tomatoes, I looked over to Anne. "Yuuta still sleeping, is he?"

Anne nodded. "He was up late last night with me." She began to prepare the clams, then looked over to me. "See...I found the clue."

We all paused to look at Anne. Kamiyaki was wide-eyed with worry. "Y-You did?"

"Yes...I told Yuuta about it last night." Anne continued to prep the clams. "I found it in the library while looking for a recipe book, as I wanted to learn to cook something new. My talent is strongest as a French desserts chef, but I also enjoy cooking other things as well." She sighed and washed her hands, leaning against the counter. "The clue was a slip of paper, with instructions already printed on the fastest solution to the maze. Someone you trust is allowed to give you directions through the maze, and...there was even a hint for the second part of the puzzle."

"There's more?" Weise crossed his legs and leaned back.

"Yeah." Anne then looked over to me. "Hey, don't stop the cutting. Timing is critical in a kitchen."

Nervously, I nodded. "R-Right then." I began to slice and dice the tomatoes. "So, Anne...there's a second part of the puzzle?"

"Yes, that's right." She sat down besides Weise at the table. "It had something to do with fire. It said you had to light the correct fuse, and that would complete the puzzle."

Nodding once more, I moved on to slicing the mushrooms. "I see...and you told Yuuta about it?"

"Yeah, last night he went to investigate the puzzle room again." Anne closed her eyes. "I gave him the paper, as it described how far into the room you could enter before the room locked you in."

"It doesn't automatically fermer à clé...uh, lock you inside?" Weise asked her.

"No." Anne stood up. "Only if you step on the platform to enter the puzzle. I guess Yuuta wanted to investigate as much as he could without triggering it. I hope he'll tell me what he's found once he finally wakes up." She then walked over to Kamiyaki. "Sweety, the water is boiling.'

Kamiyaki nodded. "A-Ah, I see." She then dropped in the spaghetti and slowly stirred it into the pot. "Sorry...I guess this morning didn't prove enough I'm not meant to be a chef."

"Ah, you tried cooking this morning?" I looked over to her.

"Since Yuuta was asleep, I didn't want Anne to work by herself." Kamiyaki smiled, sadly. "Though unfortunately, I guess charisma doesn't do much to make up for a lack of talent."

I chuckled, shrugging. "Suppose not."

Anne scooped up my chopped bowl of goods and brought it over to the stove. Grabbing a frying pan, she began to cook them into a sauce for the pasta. Since I found myself with no other purpose, I joined Weise at the table. "How's the dish looking?"

Weise grinned and showed me his layout...a red ruffle dress with a boa in the color of a spaghetti strand. "Bon appetit, no?"

Not even thinking to ask him how he colored it in, I simply laughed, "Weise, you have to dress the plate, not make the plate a dress."

Puffing his cheek, Weise turned to a clean page to draw. "D'accord…"

I watched over as Weise simply drew a pile of pasta and slapped a blob of red sauce on top. He looked to see my eyebrow raised, so he pulled out a green pencil from inside his shirt pocket and left some bits of fresh parsley. Taking out a yellow pencil next, he added some bits of shredded mozzarella. He then returned his colored pencils into his inner pocket. "There. This is fine."

Kamiyaki joined us at the table. She seemed quite exhausted, so I decided to prompt her. "Hey, did you not get much sleep?"

"Sadly not." She stretched and leaned back in her seat. "I'm a bit...out of it, I guess. I had some anxiety last night, so...I hardly slept."

"...Do you...wanna talk about it?" I asked her, worriedly.

She sighed and looked to the side. "My family. I thought about them...and I miss them. My little sister, she's very ill. She looks up to me...and…" She closed her eyes. "You know...I always let her pick my cheer outfit for me. I was...performing at a game up until I was kidnapped. It was the first time she could leave the hospital in several months...and…" She couldn't bring herself to finish her story.

Trying to provide comfort, I patted her on the shoulder. "Come on, Kamiyaki. Cheer up, we'll get out of here. You'll see your sister again."

Kamiyaki smiled at me, however...her eyes carried a different emotion. One out of grief. Perhaps...she feared that her sister won't be there to see her again.

"Thanks for helping out." Anne smiled, kindly. She then bowed and brushed her apron. "I'll finish it up from here. Oh and Weise, I hope you have those designs ready."

* * *

"Dad, how come you've left this wood to the side?" I asked my father, sitting down on a tree stump.

"Well, Kozaki." My father explained as he carefully swung his axe against a tree with utmost precision. "We leave some branches behind to replant. Scientists developed a special nutrient that will allow them to quickly grow roots, as if they're a new tree."

Looking over ot the branches in question, I asked, "And...what then?"

"The cycle continues." My father lowered his axe upon knocking a tree over. "With each tree we knock over, we plant another one. That way, we won't ever have to worry about running out of trees."

"Dad, why do you still use an axe?" I hopped off the stump and walked over to him. "Why not buy some of those robots to chop the trees for you?"

"Haha, like those corporate snakes?" My father shook his head. "No. It goes against my morals."

"Cor...por...ate…?" I blinked.

My father kneeled over, allowing me to rest against his lap. "You see, Kozaki. I don't want robots doing _my_ work. This wood doesn't go through machines, it doesn't get processed or shipped off en masse. It's carefully crafted by my hands." He chuckled. "Besides, your mother likes carving into the wood for her art. People, ehh...they have a special appreciation for things that are… 'natural' and 'organic' and the like."

Closing my eyes, I asked him, "Dad...are you happy?"

"Sure I am!" My father smiled, warmly. "I spend my days working hard, I have a wonderful wife, and I've been gifted with a son. What more could I need?"

Opening my eyes, I looked down to the side. "...Dad, should I become a lawyer?"

"Huh?" He asked me, surprised. "This isn't one of your 'phases' is it?"

"No, Dad." I stood up, then turning to him. "The job, it earns a lot of money. That way...we could have some."

My dad sighed, patting me on the head. "Don't let your mother and I stop you from what you really want, son. After all, money doesn't buy you happiness. Passion fuels it." He moved his hand down to my heart. "And I want you to find your passion, _your happiness_."

"But...I…" I tried to say something.

"Come on, Kozaki." My father lead me over to a pile of dried up sticks. "These little buggers won't do us much use. Why not light them, and have a small campfire? Your mother went to the store, I'll ask her to buy some marshmallows."

"Huh?" I blinked.

My father tossed some blades of dried grass onto the pile of sticks, surrounding them all with a ring of rocks. Walking into the shed, he returned with some flint. "Watch, son. I'll teach you how to light a fire."

* * *

I wasn't quite sure what to do in the meantime while waiting for lunch, so I decided to head over to check up on Riko. This could be my chance to actually relax for once, after all. Changing into a bathrobe, I walked over to the Mono-shift room and knocked on the door.

A chance to relax...perhaps my last. Assuming I die in that puzzle room, after all.

"Hey, Kozaki." Riko greeted me with a warm smile, dressed in a bathrobe of her own. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen her without a hat. It seemed that the hat was hiding a strand of hair that was out of place. Riko held her hands together, nervously. "How was your meeting? Find out anything?"

"Ah...well…" I shrugged. "Nothing much, I suppose."

Riko walked over to sit in front of a mirror, although she was not interested in applying makeup or painting her nails. She simply sat down to chat with the other girls, as good natured as I knew her to be.

I walked over to the hot tub to find Kyohi resting, allowing the heat to immerse him in an aura of relaxation. Taking off my robe, only leaving me with a pair of swimming shorts I had found in one of my drawers, I sat besides him in the tub and waved shyly.

"Oh, Kozaki." He smiled, invitingly. "How have you been?"

"Ah...alright I suppose." I leaned back in the tub. "Kinda just been out and about."

Kyohi nodded, slowly growing discomforted.

I could tell that the awkward tension between us was rising, so I decided something needed to be said on my behalf. "...Hey, Kyohi."

"Yeah?" He looked over to me.

"I'm sorry." I looked down with a sigh. "About yesterday...I promise to better myself."

"No, it's okay." He nodded. "I...understand why you did it. I just hope...you'll be honest from here on out."

Smiling, I gave him a thumbs up. "You got it. Thanks."

"What about yesterday?" Ingreis leaned over with one eye open, glaring towards us.

Kyohi fumbled for words. "N-Nothing."

I nodded, placing a hand on Kyohi's shoulder. "A man's honor, that's what."

"Ah." Ingreis nodded. "So you were comparing your manhood sizes. I'm happy for you." She then turned back to chat with the other girls.

Absolutely embarrassed, I groaned and submerged myself in the hot water, an instinct to hide away. I then splashed up to gasp for air, I had forgotten how terrible I was at holding my breath.

"K-Kozaki?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

Calming down and taking in a few deep breaths, I looked over to Kyohi. "S-Sorry about that. I can't swim, so...dipping underwater made me panic."

"Why even do it then?" Kyohi blinked.

It appeared to me that Kyohi did not understand Ingreis' remark about manhood. Thank goodness for that. I just hope he'll manage to stay innocent for as long as he can…

"Hey, Kozaki…" Riko walked over to the hot tub and kneeled to the edge. "Can we talk? Neizami is on board."

"On board with what?" Kyohi asked, blinking.

"W-Well you see-" Riko placed her hand onto the wet edge of the tub, causing her to lose balance and slip.

I attempted to reach for Riko to prevent her stop her from falling in, but my clumsy ass shifted my weight too quickly in the water, causing me to flop over. Riko landed on top of me, pushing me under the water.

Kyohi was quick to pull me out. "Kozaki, are you okay?"

Coughing for a while, I nodded. "R-Right…" I sighed, feeling like an idiot.

"Hey, better than just standing by and letting her fall down." Neizami sat down by the edge of the tub, dipping her feet into the water. "An attempt was made, right?"

In the background, Tikari and Ingreis continued to apply makeup together.

"S-Sure…" I looked to the side with a sigh, looking away in shame.

"Thanks for trying, Kozaki." Riko giggled, taking off her robe. Folding it and placing it neatly to the side, she leaned back in the water, up to her neck. It was as though she was embarrassed to be seen wearing a swimsuit.

"So, Riko...you were saying?" I asked in a soft whisper.

Riko nodded and motioned to Kyohi and Neizami. "I think we should go together, us four."

I looked over to Neizami. "You'd come with us?"

Neizami sighed and shrugged. "W-Well...I don't want to see you get hurt. Riko told me about how you were planning to go to the puzzle room. I'd rather come with you and help than feel the guilt of knowing I could have done something to save you...f-from...well…"

I nodded, thoughtfully. "I see...thank you, Neizami."

"Y-You wanna...go to the puzzle room?" Kyohi asked, uninformed of the situation. "B-But, Kozaki...that place is a death trap!"

"It could be our glimmer of hope, Kyohi." I pumped my fists confidently. "We could escape, so I have to try."

Kyohi looked to the side, shaking his head. "...I can't help you with this, I'm sorry." He hugged himself, shaking. "I-I don't even want to think about someone...g-getting killed. I...I don't want to _see you_... _w-well_ …"

I reached over to Kyohi to give him a side-hug. "Hey...it's okay. I respect your choice, Kyohi. I won't force you to come."

"Kozaki, I...I don't want you to go." Kyohi looked over to me. "Risking your life isn't worth it. S-Somebody will find us...r-right?"

Looking down, I slowly shook my head. "We...we're out in space, Kyohi. Out beyond the Earth's horizon. Even if our families and friends know we're missing...even if they contact the authorities…" My lip quivered. "H...How the hell would they even... _think_...to...l-look for us...here…?"

Kyohi slowly climbed out of the tub. "...I'm gonna get dressed. It's almost lunch time, right?"

Silently exchanging glances, Riko, Neizami, and myself all exited the Mono-Shift Room. Ingreis and Tikari watched us leave, confused.

* * *

Lunch was filled with an uncomfortable atmosphere. The table was mostly empty, as many students were out and about. Anne went to go bring food to Yuuta, Zraiko was sleeping in his room, Soro was out investigating with Mest and Sayino, Ingreis and Tikari were still relaxing in the spa, and the people who were here did not have anything to say.

"...Daisuke." Mei, who was sitting besides me, looked over. "Pass the queso, por favor."

"T...The what?" I looked to her.

Mei rolled her eyes. "The _queso_ , Daisuke."

Nervously, I reached my hand across the table, looking to Mei to see any changes in facial expression. I could only grow nervous as she began to fume with impatience.

" _DUNCE-SUKE_!" She got up from her chair and stomped past behind me, reaching to grab some cheese. "Do you not know what _queso_ is?!"

"N-No, I-I-I mean yes, I…" I gulped, leaning away as Mei glared at me. "W-Well...p-perhaps?"

Sitting down in her chair, Mei shredded some cheese on top of her pasta. "Perhaps, he says. Are you saying no esta queso en Pennsylvania?"

W...What was she saying?

Now that I knew queso meant cheese, perhaps...was she asking if I had no cheese back home?

...When I thought about it, Mei was speaking more Spanish than she was yesterday...

"W-We do have cheese, Mei…" I held my right arm. "I just…"

"Kozaki, yo puedo ayudar." Fraize smiled, waving shyly from across the table. He began to converse with Mei in strictly Spanish, so I had no idea what they were talking about.

Speaking of thinking...I began to ponder on my determination to enter the puzzle room. Was it really worth it? Should I...not go through with it, wait for someone to come find us?

"...Kozaki." Riko tapped on my shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Sighing, I began to play with my food, aimlessly twirling my fork around my pasta. "Well...just kinda thinking."

"...You can back out of this, Kozaki." Riko looked back to her own plate of spaghetti. "You...don't have to be brave for us."

Sighing, I patted Riko on her shoulder. "Riko...I'm not...trying to be a hero." I chuckled. "Nobody would ever see me as a hero, huh? And I'm okay with that."

"Then...why be so adamant?" She looked over to me, it seemed as though she was suppressing tears. "I've only just met you, Kozaki. I don't...want you to…"

I turned back to my pasta and took a bite. "Heh...have some more faith in me, Riko. I'm doing this because...I'm the only one _stupid_ enough to try."

"But…" She looked to her plate of pasta, laying down her fork.

Looking back to her, I smiled. "Hey...that's why I want you to come with me. Because...I know you'll watch my back, and you'll help me make it through."

Riko sighed, leaning back in her chair. It seems that the puzzle caused her to lose her appetite.

"You know, Anne told me about the puzzle." I pushed my food aside and shifted my body towards Riko, showing my attention was focused on our conversation. "I know what to expect, to some extent. It made me feel a little bit better...and I know I'll feel a lot better if you're there to support me."

Riko shifted her body to face me, holding her hands together tightly. "Kozaki, please…"

I closed my eyes. This was not the first time I had a feeling of...emptiness. A feeling...like nobody believed in me.

 _Why should we trust that kid?_

Squeezing my shoulder tightly, all I could manage to say was, " _Please...believe in me…_ "

Riko nodded, slowly. "Okay, Kozaki."

With that sorted out, I had to find a new number three to join in Kyohi's place. Someone who I know will be able to help me navigate through the maze...someone who's quite... _talented_ at giving directions.

I walked over to his chair, motioning for him to follow me out of the kitchen.

"Kozaki, esta bien?" He asked me, worriedly.

Sighing, I waved for him to follow me. "Fraize...I need your help."

* * *

"Hey, Mik." I looked over to my best friend.

We were walking together through the forest. Mikanne told me that he found something new to explore.

"Hey, Zaki." He winked.

Giggling, I looked over to what was head of us. "Are you gonna tell me what it is?"

"You'll see when we get there." He pointed ahead. "It's just this way."

We began to walk along a small creek, I watched as the water leapt over rocks and ran through cracks of stone.

Finally stopping, Mikanne sat down on a larger rock. The creek dropped down from a wall of stone besides us into a pool of water. Tiny fish, no bigger than my thumb, were swimming inside.

"What do you think, Zaki? Nice place, right?" He giggled.

I marveled at the sight. "Wow, it's...like a little paradise here! How did you know about it?"

"I found it." Mikanne leaned over the pool to watch the fish swim around. "Just...wandering."

Watching the fish as well, I looked back up to him. "You just...found it?"

"Well...sometimes...when you walk around with no idea where you're going, you'll find a surprise waiting for you." He pointed to the pool of fish. "Like this."

"Hehe, I see. This is a nice surprise." I sat down, leaning against the wall. "Say...Mik? I...I think I found it."

"Found what?" Mikanne sat besides me against the wall.

"What I wanna do." I closed my eyes. "I wanna...go on adventures! I wanna see the world, Mik."

Mikanne smiled, happy for me. "That sounds like a plan."

A plan...yeah...I finally have a plan.

Now...if only I had the initiative to begin it...

"Are you going to study design, Mik?" I looked over to him. "Have you...decided?"

Mikanne shrugged, looking forwards. "Well...I still want to. Though…"

I gave Mik a side-hug and leaned against him gently. "Hey...it's okay...you'll find out one day."

"...I love drawing, Zaki." Mikanne closed his eyes. "I wanna do that. To draw...I could do it all day…"

I smiled, standing up. "You should come over to my house, Mik. My mom draws a lot! Maybe she can help you."

Mikanne stood up as well, smiling. "Okay, Zaki." He then giggled and took my hand. "Now...it's your turn to show me the way."

* * *

"Por qué?" Fraize asked. "Why did you want to talk here, conmigo?"

We were sitting down together in the second floor library, at a desk.

"...Fraize, I'm...going to the puzzle room." I nodded. "Please, come with me."

Worriedly, Fraize tapped his fingers against the table. "Kozaki...esta muy-"

"Dangerous, deadly...stupid?" I raised an eyebrow. "Believe me, I know."

"...Why me?" He looked down. "Yo no puedo…"

I folded my hands, leaning forward on the desk. "Your talent, Fraize…you're the Super-Highschool-Level Tour Guide. You're the best chance I have."

He looked up towards me, nervously. "Even still…"

"The puzzle has a maze. I can have other people giving me instructions. You're a tour guide, right?" I nodded. "You tell people where to go all the time. I need that."

"Kozaki…" Fraize closed his eyes. "Mis...superpoderes...no puedo...I can't tell you where to go if I've never been there myself…"

Standing up, I placed my hands onto his shoulders. "Fraize. I need you to believe in me. As long as you're the navigator, I'll make sure to reach the end."

"...Alright. Valé." Fraize stood up. "Kozaki, I'll help you."

Smiling, I nodded warmly. "Gracias."

Fraize chuckled. "De nada."

"I'll meet you at the puzzle room." I walked over towards the dorms area. "I just...need to collect myself in my room."

"Yo comprendo, Kozaki." Fraize smiled, walking in the opposite direction towards the second floor hallway complex. "See you soon."

Walking towards my dorm, I began to solidify a plan of action. I'm... I'm going to complete the puzzle. I have to.

Once I do, we'll be able to...at least be a little closer to escaping. Even if it's just a tiptoe ahead...I'll take what I can get.

I took a quick moment to rest in my dorm, feeling my necklace as if it would grant me the power to succeed.

Exiting my room, I slowly walked down the grand staircase.

It very well could be my last time.

"I'm going to do it." I told myself. "I'm going to finish that puzzle….We'll get out of here."

"Kozaki, wait."

I stopped to see Mest standing against the wall. "Y-Yeah?"

"...You're going to do the puzzle?" Mest asked me, his tone carrying a level of concern.

Firstly avoiding eye contact, I sighed and looked to the floor. "...Yes. I'm going to go into the Puzzle Room."

"...Don't." Mest's voice suddenly shifted to...almost outright fear for my safety. "You're reckless, Kozaki...don't try to be brave. Don't...do something stupid."

I looked back up to Mest, then closing my eyes. "Mest...I've already decided. Please, don't stop me."

"...And what if it doesn't work?" Mest crossed his arms. "What if the puzzle doesn't give us anything at all? What if it's just meant to be a death trap?" He looked to the floor. "...What then..? No other plans?"

"I don't...I don't ever wanna think about that, okay?" I shook my head. "This is...the only fucking plan I have. If it doesn't work...I'll be damned."

"Kozaki..." Mest approached me slightly. "You don't have to pull off a stunt to gain our trust."

Defiantly, I shook my head once more, firmly. "I'm doing this to get us out of here. You'll see me again in time for dinner, alright?"

Mest's tone grew unsteady. "...And if I don't?"

Gulping, I locked my eyes with him. "You'll hear the body discovery announcement."

With that, I turned to meet up with the others at the puzzle room.

* * *

They were already waiting for me at the entrance to the room. With us all sharing a confident nod, we turned to the door simultaneously.

With heavy hearts, we entered the Puzzle Room, closing the door behind us.

I was surprised to see the maze appeared to be different from what I saw yesterday with Yuuta. Does...the maze... _move around?_

Riko directed our attention to a set of instructions on the wall. "One student will stand on the designated platform and be...prepped for entering the maze." She gulped, having difficulty reading through the procedure. "He or she will be...b-blindfolded, s-silenced, a-and...don a bracelet...t-to which might provide...a...l-lethal injection…"

Gulping nervously, I tried not to think about it too much...though to little success.

Riko continued, "Any assisting students will be watching from the viewer room. Providing instructions on navigation, the life of the maze transverser will be in their hands. The maze will be filled with...d-deadly traps...to which must be avoided…"

Fraize looked over at the instructions. "...Cuando el estudiante ha alcanzado el checkpoint at the end of the maze, he or she will be left to their own devices to finish the puzzle".

"Do not provide any help besides your words of encouragement, as any tips or tricks will result in the puzzle-solver receiving penalty - death." Neizami looked over to me, worriedly. "...Do you...really want to go through with this?"

My mind was screaming at me to say no, to say I wanted to go back and completely forget about this.

...But my drive...I wanted to get us out of here. I had to do this. If not me...who would?

"Kozaki...do you even know what the puzzle at the checkpoint is expecting?" Riko held her hands together.

"W-Well…" I crossed my arms. "Anne told me that the clue she found mentioned something about fire...light the correct fuse." I dug into my pocket and pulled out the box of matches from my shift room I had saved. "I think I can do it. You guys just need to lead me there, okay?" I then slipped it back inside my pocket.

"If the student fails the puzzle after the checkpoint, an opportunity will open for another student to step in his or her place." Neizami felt at her neck. "If they decline, the session ends, and he or she may leave…"

"The prize...esta una llave. It's a key." Fraize crossed his arms. "...Pero...no está un explanación. Solamente una llave…"

I looked over to the platform, shaking my head. "...I'm ready."

"Kozaki...this is the point of no return." Neizami gulped. "If...you step on that platform…"

With a heavy sigh, I nodded. "...I...know."

Riko walked over to me, clutching her hands, nervously. "You...you don't have to do this, Kozaki. We can turn back." She seemed to be on the verge of tearing up, but didn't want to lose composure. "W...What if you die?"

Silently, I gave Riko a hug to comfort her. "...I don't wanna die, Riko...but...I have to do this. I won't let anyone else."

"Please, Kozaki...we _all_ have to survive. That...that includes you, too…" Riko sniffled. " _Please_...it's not too late…"

Sighing, I patted Riko and stepped away gently. "Riko...I'm going to do this. So as long as you guys can guide me through the maze, so as long as I solve the fire puzzle at the end. We'll get out of here."

Nodding, Riko slowly walked with Neizami to the viewer room. I looked over to see Fraize, extending a hand to me. I shook it firmly with him as he looked me in the eyes.

"Fraize...I'm counting on you." I chuckled. "Let's do this."

"Kozaki...Buena suerte. If anyone can do it...creo en tú." He nodded.

Closing my eyes, I nodded as well. Fraize pulled away, walking into the viewer room and closing the door.

With one last glance, I turned around and stepped onto the platform. A faint yellow aura surrounded me, only feuling my anxiety.

"Student detected. Kozaki Daisuke." A voice, reminiscent to a female's, echoed in the room. "Do you wish to proceed?"

Closing my eyes, I paused for a moment.

This was it...the last chance to turn back.

What I'm doing is stupid, so terribly stupid.

I just hope that I'll be able prove that there is just as much bravery in stupidity as there is in the reverse.

"Yes." I opened my eyes.

"Now loading…" The voice paused. "You will have a maximum of thirty minutes to complete the puzzle. If you make it to the checkpoint and you die, your viewers will be eligible to finish the puzzle in your place. If not, the puzzle will be nullified."

A pair of robotic hands sprouted from the ground besides the platform. A bracelet with a needle was forced onto my wrist, causing me to wince in pain and clutch my arm in response.

"If you break the rules, run out of time, or give up, you will be injected with poison and be killed immediately." The voice instructed me.

My eyes were fixated to my wrist, a thin stream of blood trickled down my hand. I was suddenly blindfolded, then a strip of tape was placed over my mouth.

"Do not remove the blindfold or tape until you have reached the checkpoint. Otherwise you will be euthanized for breaking the rules." The room's voiced wrapped up. "Dropping you in three...two...one…"

The platform suddenly vanished from under my feet, and I plummeted into the darkness unknown.

Falling…

Why...why am I such an idiot?

...Hurts…

It's cold...so cold…

No strength to move…

...What the hell have I done?

Riko's voice called out in the darkness. "Kozaki, can you hear me?"

It was difficult to stand with the blindfold on. I leaned against the wall, trying to find my balance.

"Kozaki, you need to go left." Neizami's voice attempted to guide me. "But watch out, okay? Take slow steps."

With only words to go by, I shook my head and attempted to press forward. There was no time to waste, unless I wanted to die…

"Stop, wait a moment!" Riko's voice warned me. "There's a spike pit up ahead!"

S-Spike pit?

I'm...I'm done for. This is fucking it. I'm actually going to die, aren't I?

"Left, amigo. Turn left once more!" Fraize instructed, encouragingly.

I did so, carefully.

The instructions were all I had to go by. With my eyes blinded, with no way to ask questions, all I could do is pray to not fall into a trap.

There were a few close calls. Quite a few…

While it was a good idea to have three people watching over me incase I did actually die...perhaps having three people compete for my attention was not so smart…

Idiot...I should've told them I wanted _just Fraize_ to tell me where to go...

"Kozaki, go right."

"Wait, stop! Turn back!"

"No, no! Not that way!"

"Amigo, cuidado!"

"Go forward!"

My arm was suddenly gashed violently. I could feel cold metal slip through, slitting my flesh like butter. Warm blood trickling out...if it weren't for me being blindfolded, I would've probably fainted from the sight.

Then came the pain. I wanted to scream, to yell for help.

But I couldn't, because I was silenced.

Instead of emotions coming from my mouth, they came from my eyes. Crying...crying because I had to find some other way to express how much it hurt.

"Kozaki, oh...oh my…" Riko's voice trembled.

Can't...can't give up. I have to make it….

Gaining an emotional momentum to propel myself forward, I pumped my fist into the air to signify I was ready to keep going.

There was an uneasy silence at first, but Fraize took control of the instructions. "Riko, Neizami, lo siento. Move out of the way, ahora. Kozaki, amigo. Darme tú attención! Necesitas travel straight, pero cuidado. There's a trap if you walk too far!"

With Riko and Neizami allowing for Fraize to take control, I didn't have to worry about instructions flying at me rapidly. Although I had issues with understanding everything he was saying, I managed to do well. I may have had a few scratches here and there, but Fraize was able to guide me through the maze without me getting killed, and that's all that mattered in the end.

After what felt like forever, with the stinging pain of my various cuts pulsing violently, I managed to reach the checkpoint.

"You have reached the checkpoint. You may now remove your blindfold and tape." The ominous female voice instructed. "You have twelve minutes remaining before you run out of time. You may now begin."

My adrenaline was flowing, this was all on me now. Ripping off the blindfold and tape, I rushed over to a table with a series of wires wrapped around as a sort of went to an outer frame. From the mass of wires, only one lead into the wall.

I had to find out which one it was, and light it.

If I guessed incorrectly…

Damn. All the wires were the same color, same thickness, and seemed to go in the same chaotic direction. An absolute tangled mess.

...that gave me an idea.

Using my hand like a large comb, I decided to cautiously stroke through the wires. If Weise could fix my hair, surely I could fix these wires.

Easier said than done. I was able to get a good amount of the volume to cut down, but the amount of options was not shrinking good enough for me.

"Come on, Kozaki!" Riko cheered for me. "You've got this!"

Neizami joined in. "Don't give up, Kozaki! You're doing great!"

"You can do it, amigo!" Fraize called out.

I started to run my fingertips over the wires, trying to feel out which wire connected from one side of the frame to the other, and which wire was out of place.

Slowly pulling up a wire, I ran my fingers over it five times to ensure I was making the right choice. Out of all the wires...this one didn't start from one frame to meet another.

This was it.

I lit a match and squeezed my eyes shut as I pressed it to the wire.

…

Silence.

Did I fail…?

After all of this...of them helping me...believing in me...I let them down?

The sparks from the wire danced around the forest rapidly. I held my breath.

Taking a dive from the table, the spark ran into the wall, and then...the green light held on the wall lit up...

I don't think one could ever imagine such relief...I made the right choice.

"Congratulations, Kozaki Daisuke. You have completed this puzzle room." The female voice began to fade. "Please enjoy your reward…"

The bracelet attached to my wrist loosened as the walls of the maze suddenly lowered to the ground. A grand set of stairs lead back to the door of the puzzle room.

Neizami, Fraize, and Riko all ran down to check on me.

"Kozaki, are you okay?!" Riko quickly examined my gashed arm. "O-Oh my...it's...it's even...w-w-worse t-than I…"

I looked over to my arm to see just how deep the cut was. The sight made me woozy, nearly losing my balance.

"Here, Kozaki." Neizami took off her green scarf and tied it tightly above the wound. "We'll...find a way to treat it."

"T-Thanks…" I looked over to the bracelet and grabbed it firmly. It seemed that I would have to pull it out myself.

"Do...do you want us to do it for you?" Riko offered. "You can look away."

"N-No." I shook my head. "Don't let it trouble you."

They all watched uneasily as I slowly pulled out the bracelet, reopening the stab wound. Belching, I dropped the bracelet onto the ground and kneeled over. I couldn't compose myself any longer, it was too much...too much blood…

"Kozaki, amigo." Fraize crouched besides me and patted my back. "What you just did...fue increible. Yo no tengo la confidencia...you should be...relieved."

"H-Hurts…" I wiped away some tears. "I'm...I'm bleeding...I'm…" My voice began to crack, gasping for air. "Help...fucking...help me…"

Neizami and Riko also knelt besides me. Riko returned my hug from earlier, gently brushing my hair with her fingertips. "Kozaki...it's okay...you're okay. You did it, just like you said you would."

I hugged Riko tightly. "...I wanna get out of here, Riko. Let's...let's go home."

"The key should be stored through this door." Fraize stood up and pointed to the direction of the wall, where a door must've appeared while the walls to the maze were lowering. "Quieres sacar the key?"

"...Let's get that key." I nodded, slowly standing up. "Getting one step closer to getting out of here will be just the push I need to shake this off."

We all lined up in front of the door. Even if all this hard work was for just a key...it could be the key to escaping, or making even _some kind of progress_. Exchanging glances with everyone, I stepped forward and opened the door.

…

But there was no key.

There...there was...nothing to help us escape.

Only...to trap us here further...to sink us even deeper into the water.

There was no key to the light, only a portal open to the darkness.

Beyond the door laid the body of Yuuta Erotomi, the Super-Highschool-Level Fisherman.

I stepped back. I didn't...I couldn't…

Y...Yuuta…?

 _ **Ding Dong Dong Ding**_

This...this isn't happening...this…

" **A-body-has-been-discovered."**

He's gone...he's…

We...we were all going to get out of here...this...this isn't…

All the pressure was too much for me. I couldn't hold it any longer.

First I almost died just to get here..now when I finally made it…

The blood...the pain...it hurts...it's fucking painful...

"Kozaki?!" Riko reached over to me.

Not even she could catch me as I fell into darkness.

* * *

What does it mean...to have a passion?

Is it...to have a fire lit within you, an undying dedication?

If so...how does it feel like? Have I even...ever felt it before?

Perhaps one of the reasons why I lit things on fire so much was because of the intensity of the heat. The way it pulsed against my body, the way it flickered and danced in my eyes. I wanted that fire inside me, to take it and have it fuel...anything.

I've never wanted to do anything. Never wanted to be anything, anything at all. So then...what do I do with my life?

I dropped out because it wasn't working for me anymore. I wasn't interested, just didn't care. Nobody liked me anyways, so it was probably good riddance or whatever.

I never enjoyed sitting down and doing one thing for ages, if that was what passion was meant to be. I wanted to go outside, constantly finding new things. To be...an explorer. To see the unknown.

Heh...but we didn't have the money for it. Instead I stayed at home, just waiting until...something changed.

...Was that why I was here? Because...I wanted a change?

No...not...not like this…

I never wanted this at all…

 _Wouldn't you like a fresh taste in what it feels to be alive?_

Grabbing at my head, I shook it over and over...over...and over…

No...I didn't want this...I wanted a change, but... _not this_ …

 _This is for the best...just let it all go…_

I fell to my knees, I was too broken to even cry.

No...no...no…

Not this, I...I don't…

I never wanted…

I...I can't…

...No...

* * *

~Chapter One, Daily Life Part Two, End~

~Chapter One, Deadly Life Part One, Start~


	5. Labyrinth of my Absolution Deadly Life 1

It was cold outside, that first winter without Mikanne. It felt...colder than usual. Perhaps because I found myself to be growing cold.

I stopped dreaming, I stopped caring. There didn't seem to be any point in anything.

"Kozaki, dinner's ready." My father called from downstairs. "Won't you come and eat with your family?"

Laying down on my bed, staring at the ceiling, I didn't respond. I didn't feel hungry anymore, I didn't _want_ anything anymore...well...except for my best friend to come back one day.

"Kozaki, hello? I'm calling you downstairs." My father opened the door of my room and found me on my bed. "Son, what are you doing?"

I looked over to my father without a word, just...staring.

My father looked over to my desk. "You haven't touched your lunch? You must be starving!" He walked over to my bed. "Come on now. It's your favorite. Macaroni and cheese!"

Groaning, I turned my back to my father.

"...Kozaki." My father sat down next to me on my bed. "You can tell me what's wrong, son. I'm your father."

"...Go away, Dad…" I sighed. "Please...I'm not hungry."

My father brushed his fingers through my hair gently. "Your mother worked very hard to cook your favorite meal. Surely you don't want her to be sad?"

"No...I don't…" I closed my eyes. "...But...I don't feel hungry, Dad."

"Well...what do you feel?" My father asked, softly.

I slowly sat up, holding my right arm. "I feel lonely...I miss Mik. Ever since that accident, he was the only person who still felt... _safe_ to be my friend. Now he's gone, and...everyone avoids me…"

My dad coughed, awkwardly. "Burning down someone's house is...not the best idea, son."

"They deserved it." I frowned, bitterly. "And I don't regret it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Silence. My father stood up from my bed, sighing. "...The macaroni will get cold, Kozaki. And you know that it won't be as good. Please...come downstairs."

Slowly, I climbed out of bed and followed my father down the steps. With my father walking into the kitchen, he motioned for me to sit at the dining table.

Walking into the room, I came face-to-face with a man I had never met before. A tall man with feathery black hair, dressed in a loose suit. He smiled, politely. "Good to meet you, Kozaki."

I looked to see my mother was sitting at the table. She motioned for me to sit next to her, to which I did quickly.

"Mom…" I whispered. "Who is that?"

"This is a friend of your father's." My mother patted me gently. "He's looking to help you."

I looked across the table as the man took a seat, my father soon sitting besides him.

"Kozaki, this is Royce Steveston." My father introduced the man. "He is going to be your attorney."

"M...My what?" I blinked.

The man nodded. "I'm going to be taking care of you and your...err...shenanigans." He looked to the side. "The...not-so-legal...shenanigans…"

Feeling discomfort, I attempted to slip out from my seat. My mother held my hand, gently. "Come on, Kozaki. Royce is going to help you."

"H-H...Help me?" I looked at the man in the eyes.

He nodded, folding his hands and leaning slightly onto the table. "Kozaki, your father Tet asked me to take care of you and your...fire issues. I'll arrange you to meet with a therapist, and hopefully you'll feel better, okay?"

Silently, I closed my eyes. "...No, I don't need it. I don't...I don't need help." I slowly stood up. "I'm...better off alone, please…"

"Kozaki, wait-" My mother reached over to me.

But I didn't wait, I silently walked back upstairs alone, with no macaroni and cheese.

* * *

"Wake up...Kozaki, please."

Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself laying down in my dorm room. Sitting up, I looked to find Riko waiting beside me.

"There you are…" She held her hands together nervously. "How do you feel?"

"...Like I was chewed up and shat out violently." I groaned and felt at my head. "What...happened?"

"Your wound has been treated." Riko motioned to my arm. "You'll be okay."

Closing my eyes, I held my right arm. I winced in pain at first, but I wouldn't let that stop me from my habit. "...We got the key, didn't we?"

"N...No, Kozaki." Riko gulped. "We didn't find a key...w-we…" She slowly shook her head.

"We all ran to the Puzzle Room when we heard the Body Discovery Announcement go off." Kyohi walked over to me. I didn't notice he was in my room until this moment. "Mest was terrified that...you died there."

"B-Body...w...what…?" I felt at my head. "N...No...I…"

Riko slowly reached over to me, holding my hands and squeezing them. "Kozaki...we found Yuuta, dead. Monobotto's waiting for you to recover so that we can start investigating."

...Yuuta…

I can't believe it, even still...even now…

He can't be dead. This is just a nightmare. I-I...just have to wake up again-!

"Kozaki." Riko stood up, sighing. "We need to hurry. Monobotto says that every student must be involved in the investigation. You'll be given a penalty otherwise. Let's meet the others at the grand staircase and make a plan."

Slowly standing up, my body felt woozy. I immediately dropped to my knees and grabbed at my mouth.

"Kyohi, the bin!" Riko called over.

Kyohi quickly brought a trash bin over to me. "Here, Kozaki."

I just couldn't keep it together. Throwing up for a good two minutes, I sighed and leaned back, feeling absolutely disgusted with myself, the taste of the regurgitation as bitter as the situation I was trapped in now.

"Hey...have this." Kyohi handed me a bottle of water. "You're really pale. You can't risk passing out again."

Gulping down the water rapidly, I crumbled up the empty bottle and sighed. Riko took the plastic from my hands, dropping it into a trash bin.

"...Kozaki…" Kyohi looked down, worriedly. "If we can't find out who killed Yuuta...we'll die."

That's when it dawned on me. "Y...You mean...one of us... _killed him_?"

Riko and Kyohi looked to each other with discomfort. It seemed...it was true…

"Let's hurry." Riko walked over to the door. "Are you...ready?" Her face showed that she felt stupid for asking that.

Of course...nobody could be ready.

Slowly walking behind them, we climbed down the grand staircase to meet with everyone else.

"Finally awake, princess?" Ingreis crossed her arms. "We've been here for quite some time…"

"S-Sorry…" I sat down on one of the steps. "I...I didn't mean to-"

" _Dunce-suke_ , what the _HELL_ were you thinking?!" Mei pointed to me. "Going into the Puzzle Room, are you _LOCO?! Quieres morir?!_ "

"I-I'm sorry…" I hugged my knees. "I-I was only trying to...to help us..."

"Hey, guys. Not now." Sayino shook her head. "Like it or not...one of us killed Yuuta. We have to investigate it...and have a trial…"

Tikari tapped her fingers together. "M-Maybe if he or she confesses now, we could-"

"Who in their right mind would confess?!" Soro frowned. "They'd be admitting to _killing_ someone!"

"A-And…" Kamiyaki looked to the side in horror. "He or she...will be killed."

A wave of silence fell upon all of us.

"What-are-you-all-waiting-for-?" Monobotto rolled over towards us. "Fools. You-have-no-time-for-being-emotional."

I looked to the side to see Anne crying softly, Fraize gently patting her on the back. Poor Anne...she and Yuuta were growing so close...they might've been best friends if it weren't for…

"The-Puzzle-Room-and-Mono-shift-room-have-been-frozen-in-place-for-your-investigation. Information-has-been-provided-about-the-victim-in-your-Bottolets. Take-a-moment-to-read-it."

Taking out my Bottolet from my inner hoodie pocket, I opened up a message notification from Monobotto.

 _ **Victim Information:**_

 **The victim is Yuuta Erotomi, the Super-Highschool-Level Fisherman.**

 **His age was 16 years old.**

 **He lived in Patras, Greece.**

 **He was five feet, two inches tall.**

 **He weighed 116 pounds.**

 **He was allergic to pollen.**

 **His blood type was AB-**

 **He had an extreme case of short-term memory loss.**

 _ **Victim Situation:**_

 **The victim's body was discovered in the Puzzle Room by Kozaki Daisuke, Riko Hamoizumi, Fraize Kimizai, and Neizami Otomaeda at 3:10 PM.**

 **The estimated time of death is 4:25 AM.**

 **The victim was subjected to several cuts, including a stab mark on their right wrist, though the cause of death is undetermined.**

 **The victim's heart rate was rapidly increasing shortly before death.**

 **The final brain wave readings showed the victim was under high stress shortly before death.**

It even recorded his heart rate and brain waves…how the hell…?

Slowly lowering the tablet, I shook my head several times.

This whole time...we thought he was oversleeping…when in reality, he was dead.

I took mental note of what the Bottolet presented to me, surely we will have to use this information in…

The trial…

"Alright-then-fools. Go-and-investigate. You-have-two-hours." Monobotto rolled away. "I-will-stop-by-to-check-on-your-progress-every-now-and-then."

Nobody felt like speaking, nobody felt like doing anything.

One of our friends, although new, was gone.

Slowly stepping forward, Riko faced the group. "Guys...we need to spread out and start investigating."

"But what do we do?" Kamiyaki looked down. "...Where do we go?"

Zraiko pointed towards me. "Kozaki, you go with your group to the Puzzle Room. You were the ones who discovered the body, so you need to investigate the whole room thoroughly."

"I…" I slowly stood up. "I'll see what I can do."

Zraiko pointed towards Anne. "You were with Yuuta last night, you might be the last person who saw him alive. Show the rest of us what you two were doing."

Anne nodded, sadly. "I...I'll try my best."

"We should meet back here in an hour." Ingreis placed her hands on her hips. "We'll exchange information, then find out what else we need to investigate."

"Sounds like a plan." Sayino looked over towards me. "Go then, Kozaki. Find out as much as you can. But don't push yourself too hard, you're still recovering."

Riko walked over to my side. "Kozaki, don't be afraid to step back if you feel overwhelmed. I know you've been through a lot in such a short amount of time."

Slowly nodding, I looked down to my feet. "I...I understand."

"Let's hurry, we've only got two hours." Soro motioned for the others in his group to follow him. "We'll go to the kitchen first. Anne and Yuuta spent a lot of time there."

Just before everyone began to split up, I looked upwards to call out to them. "Guys, I…"

Everyone paused to look at me.

"...I'm sorry for going to the Puzzle Room. I'm sorry for...everything…" I started to tear up. "I just wanted us to escape...I wanted to help for once...and now…"

A pause, Anne stepped forward. "No, Kozaki. Thank you."

"Huh?" I looked over to Anne.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "If...you hadn't gone into the Puzzle Room, we would've never found Yuuta…"

"And now we're going to bring his killer to justice, eh?" Tikari smiled, confidently. "We should be thanking you for your bravery, Kozaki."

There was a sea of murmurs in agreement, some more willing than others.

Neizami gently placed a hand onto my shoulder. "Let's go, Kozaki. You can lead the way."

"I want to help out, too." Kyohi walked over, holding up a pen and notepad. "I'll take notes for you, okay?"

The group now dispersing, I looked over to the four people standing before me. Riko, Fraize, Neizami, and Kyohi all looked at me for direction.

Fraize nodded with a smile. "Go on, amigo. It's your turn para adelantarnos."

Slowly nodding, we walked into the Left Wing, down the steps of the Puzzle Room.

Yuuta was still there...cold…

With a sigh, I slowly knelt down. "Hey there, buddy...I hope you'll be able to have a peaceful sleep now…"

Everyone exchanged glances, then looking towards me. Kyohi stepped forward, preparing his pen. "I'm...ready now, Kozaki."

Standing up, I took a look at the scene as a whole. Yuuta was laying down on his stomach, his head facing towards the door. He had several small cuts on his body, perhaps from his attempt in the maze. There was a small pool of blood underneath his left hand, from his right wrist was a small stream of blood. Gently flipping his body over, I pulled off his gloves to take a closer look.

"You're getting all of this, Kyohi?" I looked over to my note-taking assistant.

The hockey player nodded. "Every last detail of the body."

I looked down back to Yuuta, he had a bracelet latched on to his right wrist. The veins around the area were...purple.

I looked up to his mouth, there was blood dripping from his lips.

"Did Yuuta fail the puzzle?" Riko held her hands together, worriedly.

I shook my head with a sigh. "We don't have a way to tell how or why. There's several different ways he could've failed…"

"You-fools-should-check-the-logs." Monobotto rolled over to us.

We all stepped back in surprise. Fraize blinked in confusion. "Pero, donde esta…?"

"You-fools." Monobotto motioned towards the viewer room. "There-is-a-computer-upstairs."

I turned to Monobotto, hoping to confirm something. "He failed the puzzle in some way, right?"

Monobotto slowly spun around before looking towards me. "Yes."

"And the poison will kill instantly, as instructed." I pointed to Monobotto. "Or am I wrong?"

Monobotto simply rolled towards the staircase, sprouting out arms and using them to climb up. It did not bother to respond to me.

Sighing, I turned back towards Yuuta. "...I think he got the blood on his other hand from trying to remove the bracelet. He must've been aware that he was about to be injected and...wanted to stop it…"

"Aware?" Neizami asked, thoughtfully. "You mean...his psyche waves and heart rate increasing, right?"

"Exactly that." I knelt down again. "You know...the words on the wall…"

Riko gulped. "W-Written in blood, it's hard to miss."

"It says lo siento, I'm sorry." Fraize looked down, sadly. "It's...like whoever did it, no lo queria."

"Did not want to kill him." I nodded. "He or she must feel incredibly guilty."

Kyohi continued to jot down notes. "Hey, what do you make of this lighter here?"

I looked to see a kitchen lighter resting besides Yuuta. "...He must've brought it with him to do the second part of the puzzle. Anne did tell him, after all. Actually…"

"K-Kozaki?" Riko held her hands together, surprised.

I began to feel Yuuta's pockets, trying to find anything on his person. There, I found his diary, a key, but...no instructions. It seems that the killer took them from him, or...even had them the whole time. After all, _someone_ was giving Yuuta directions…

There was also his Bottolet, but I decided it would be best not to touch it.

"Is that the key from the puzzle?" Neizami pointed to a hook above Yuuta's body. There was a strand of rope with signs of being burnt.

I investigated the key closely. "...There's a possibility of it, but...why would he have it?" I looked back to the others.

"Ah, yo comprendo." Fraize nodded. "You think el traidor would have taken it?"

"If 'el traidor' means the killer…" I nodded. "I think so. So...why leave it here?"

Nobody had a clear answer. Kyohi took a close look at the key. "What's with these red, glossy stains on it?"

"Perhaps the paint job was bad?" Riko offered her idea.

I looked back towards Yuuta. "...Black stains on the floor, I wonder what they are…"

"What does his diary say? Maybe he wrote something that can help us?" Neizami looked over to me.

As it's generally indecent to read someone else's diary, I felt guilty as I opened it and flipped through. There were entries from his private life back home, to which I quickly passed through to not disrespect him and his family. Finding his final entries, I read them out loud. "Anne gave me the hint for the Puzzle Room. I'm going to find someone willing to help me. I have no doubt Anne will be against it, so...who else will be there to help instruct and cheer for me?"

Riko held her hands together. "It seems he didn't write down who he found to help…"

We all looked at each other with discomfort. We were done looking at Yuuta's body, but...we didn't want to leave him.

"Should we...bury him in the garden?" Kyohi asked, saddened.

I nodded, solemnly. "It's the best we can do for him." Slowly, I reached over to his body, my hands shaking.

"Kozaki, por favor." Fraize patted me on the shoulder. "Yo puedo carry Yuuta."

* * *

We slowly climbed up the steps and headed into the viewer room. I noticed there was a computer off to the side, to which Riko took a seat and began to type into.

"How do we access the logs?" I walked over besides her.

Riko fiddled around with it for a while, shaking her head. "I'm...just trying to figure that out."

"Let me go get Zraiko!" Kyohi pumped his fists, eager to help. "Neizami, would you hold on to my notes?"

Neizami carefully took the notepad from Kyohi. "Absolutely."

With that, Kyohi bolted from the room.

I decided that until Zraiko entered to help us with our computer situation, we should investigate the physical surroundings of the viewer room.

I took a moment to look at the layout. There was a metallic desk with a futuristic computer, the one we needed Zraiko's expertise to help us out. There was also a microphone, probably for the viewers to cast their instructions out to the maze runner. A single chair was resting in front of the desk, so I suppose Riko and Neizami were standing up as Fraize had directed me. Lastly...I noticed more of those dark splotches on the desk and floor, just like the ones near Yuuta's body. Looking closer, there seemed to be some of those red glossy stains as well, faintly leaving a trace on the handle of the microphone. Looking closely at the chair Riko was sitting at, I noticed a dent in one of the legs. Perhaps it was because the production process fucked it over.

We waited about ten minutes for Kyohi to return with Zraiko. The hacker took the seat from Riko and had a crack at the computer. Neizami returned Kyohi's notebook.

"Hey, so...any ideas on what to do?" Neizami asked, peeking over Zraiko's shoulder.

Shrugging, he continued to type, adjusting his glasses and keeping himself sharp. "It's really not too hard. You just have to go into the command-"

"Oooh, how did you do that?" Riko marveled, leaning from behind Zraiko's other shoulder. "You make it seem super easy…"

"Ehh...it's nothing, really." Zraiko stood up from the chair, returning the seat to Riko. "Here you are. All the files are organized and ready for you to look at."

Smiling, the clarinetist sat down and began to look over the files.

Zraiko walked over to Fraize, looking to Yuuta's body. ".. poor kid, damn." He sighed, taking his glasses off and feeling at his forehead. "Who the hell'd ever... _do this_?"

Fraize sighed and shook his head. "No tengo idea. Yuuta...fue un amigo nuevo, pero...he was still kind...still bueno."

I had to force myself to look away. Each time I even _thought_ about Yuuta...I felt sick to my stomach. He just wanted to go home...back under the sun's warm rays...catching fish all day…

"I have something." Riko looked over to me. "Student admission."

Kyohi leaned in. "This is perfect, right? Whoever went in after Yuuta must've been recorded here! After all...how else did Yuuta end up in that...well…?"

Riko typed into the computer to get a playback of the audio. "...Okay, let's hear it…"

"Student detected. Yuuta Erotomi. Do you wish to proceed?" The audio played back.

Riko fast-forwarded the instructions, looking for new dialogue to help us. "Come on, then…"

We all leaned in slightly, hoping to find... _anything_ to help us.

The recordings continued, "Code 3 Violation. You are breaking the rules. Unfortunately, you will receive lethal injection in twenty seconds."

...Twenty seconds. That's all he had to say goodbye. All he had to think of his family and friends once more. All he had to come to accept his fate.

But I could tell just by looking at him, it wasn't enough time...

The audio wasn't waiting for us either. "Viewer or viewers, you are now eligible to continue the puzzle. If you do, you will have eight minutes, as you will be allotted the time remaining."

He or she wouldn't even get a more time...all that the killer had to work with were the pieces Yuuta left behind.

"Do you wish to proceed?" The audio finished.

Wait...what?

"Rewind that." I looked over to Riko. "I didn't catch a name."

She did so, but...the audio was the same. We didn't get a name.

Was the computer doing this to protect his or her identity?

Zraiko crossed his arms. "Hmm...well it seems we won't be catching the killer this way. Would've been too easy, I suppose…"

"But we did learn something." Kyohi looked over to Yuuta. "Code 3. That's what he violated."

Okay great...what the heck is Code 3? We didn't hear anything about codes during my run.

It said he was breaking the rules. I guess the code must be one of them in particular.

I suppose I'll find out which later, in the trial…

With us seeing everything in the Puzzle Room, it was time to meet up with the other students to share what we found.

* * *

I don't have a lot of memories with my family...well...my _whole_ family.

My father came from Japan, having studied botany. He was set up on a good path in life, but he decided to choose another route. When he met my mother, he stopped everything for her.

She was an aspiring art student from America, from San Fransokyo at that. She loved Japanese culture, so she went to study abroad for her artwork education. My father's parents adored her, and allowed for my father to come with her to America. My uncle, his younger brother, was upset to see him go. They were so close when they were children, but...with my father moving away, they started to grow far apart.

My mother's parents didn't pay much attention to her. Since they were successful scientists, they left my mother to do whatever...well...without giving her funding. Since my mother was uninterested in pursuing a career in STEM, they sort of...abandoned her. Cut ties, let her be whoever as long as she wasn't being herself near them. Since her older sister was studying chemistry, she really felt that cold shoulder at a young age.

That's why when she had me, she forbade her parents from seeing me. Her older sister died in a chemical accident, so...I'm all that's here to continue the bloodline.

I sort of hope I never have to see them.

My father's parents, on the other hand, embraced who my father was. They came to visit me as a child quite often. However...they just stopped visiting one day. They were alive, but...they seemed to be suddenly isolated. My uncle...I haven't seen him since about eleven years ago.

Ako Sashita married Otori Daisuke. They had my father, Tetsuya Daisuke - Tet for short. They had my uncle, Haiji Daisuke.

Vail Hilfiger married Adrien Belford. They had my aunt, Audeline Belford. They had my mother, Lauren Belford.

My parents moved in together in San Fransokyo, then moved into the quiet town of Rothica, Pennsylvania.

Lauren Belford married Tetsuya Daisuke. They had me…

Kozaki Daisuke.

* * *

"...So there he is…" Sayino sighed, crossing her arms. "I'd...like to wish Yuuta was just sleeping…"

Fraize slowly rested Yuuta upright against the wall, stepping away. "...esta muy triste, this whole situation."

With a large group of us all sitting on the steps, very few students were brave enough to approach Yuuta. Anne walked over and whispered to him, possibly to give her some closure. I didn't want to eavesdrop, so I let them be.

"We're going to bury Yuuta in the garden." Neizami closed her eyes. "It's the best we can do for…"

We turned to see Monobotto rolling over to us. From where? Probably the depths of whatever hell it spawned from. Monobotto stopped in front of Yuuta's body. "Done-investigating-the-body-? I-will-take-it-away-then."

Protectively, we stood in front of Yuuta. The students from the stairs rushed over to surround Monobotto.

"What-is-the-problem-?" Monobotto turned around slowly.

"You're not getting your grubby hands on Yuuta." Soro gritted his teeth.

Kamiyaki pointed at Monobotto. "There's no way you're taking him anywhere!"

"But-I-must-dispose-of-the-body." Monobotto spun around, this time counterclockwise. "I-was-instructed-to-do-so."

Anne hugged Yuuta's body, shaking her head. "No...you can't take him!"

I stepped forwards and frowned. "You roll back to whatever sewer you keep crawling out from, you...you soccer ball of loose screws!"

Monobotto turned towards me, nonchalantly. "Kozaki-Daisuke."

"Yeah?" I asked, gritting my teeth.

Monobotto simply turned away. "If-only-you-died-in-that-puzzle-as-well."

Biting my lip, I looked away as I held my right arm.

It's just a stupid robot.

...Why does it hurt, then?

"Stop bullying us." Kyohi placed his hands on his hips. "Go away, Monobutto."

There were some snickers in the crowd. Monobotto rolled around in a circle. "Fine-then. Please-give-the-Bottolet-to-me. You-will-use-up-your-investigation-time-to-bury-the-body. You-have-an-hour-remaining."

Anne slowly retrieved Yuuta's Bottolet and handed it to Monobotto. With that, the soccer ball bot rolled away.

"You okay, Kozaki?" Riko asked me, looking worried.

Sighing, I shook it off. "Y-Yeah. Who cares what Monobotto says, right? We're...going to bury Yuuta now, together."

Slowly standing up, Anne nodded. "That's right...let's go."

Walking as a group to the garden, Anne picked out a spot besides one of the trees. "He and I were here before, when we first met. He told me...he loved the trees here." She sniffled. "A-And…"

Mest walked over and crouched, feeling the soil in his hands. "It's soft. I'm willing to dig with my hands if I have to."

Kneeling down besides him, I nodded. "Mest, I'll help you."

Weise took about five steps back. "Just don't get any of that filth on my vêtemes." He brushed his pants, gently. "They're designer, aprés tout."

Sayino joined us. "Whelp, a little dirt doesn't scare me. I'll help out as well."

Clawing through the soil, it took a damn long time to make any progress. The rest of the students watched us, worriedly.

"This will do." Mest slowly stood up.

I nodded, turning to Fraize. "Let's...tuck him into bed."

Fraize slowly walked over to me. I helped him to lower Yuuta's body into the hole. Before burying him, we all stood together...watching silently.

We each gave Yuuta words of parting. Some thanked him for his food, others for his optimism.

I thanked Yuuta for having the courage to be the first one to take a chance. I promised him that I'd make sure his death was not in vain.

Laying down his journal on top of the soil, I stood up. I couldn't leave the key with him, as selfish as it was. We...we needed it for the trial.

...I...needed it to escape...

"Leaving the diary?" Ingreis raised an eyebrow. "I think we should take it."

I turned to her, surprised. "H-Huh? But, it's…"

"We can leave it with Yuuta _after_ the trial." She crossed her arms. "We may need it as evidence...we may need it to find the culprit."

"Who will hold onto it?" Tikari asked, worriedly. "Someone Yuuta would trust, eh?"

"I will, if you may let me." Anne offered.

"No way in hell, hermana." Mei pointed to Anne, critically. "Prime suspect, you're not trustworthy."

Feeling at her apron, Anne sighed and looked to the floor. "I-I understand…"

"P-Prime suspect?" Riko held her hands, worriedly. "But...why? They were so close, I don't think Anne would-"

"You don't _think_." Zraiko crossed his arms. " _Thinking_ is one thing. _Knowing_ is another. Her activities last night were incredibly suspicious."

The other students in the group nodded in agreement.

"She went to feed Yuuta lunch. What if to throw us off, non?" Weise crossed his arms. "Oui, I'd hate to suspect any one of nous...but it's _off_."

Anne shook her head. "Honest, I didn't know he was dead!"

"Woah, woah. Guys…" I gulped, stepping in. "We can save this for later. Right now, we're running out of time to investigate." I picked up the diary and slipped it into my inner hoodie pocket.

Fraize nodded. "Sí, necesitamos buscar the killer."

Tikari raised her hand lightly. "So I suppose that means we...won't be sharing information, eh?"

"Unfortunately...we don't have time to spare. Let's do it at the trial." I walked over to the door. "I'm going to look in the kitchen myself. Anne, I want you to come with me to talk about last night. Actually…" I looked back, firmly. "Anyone who was awake and about during night time, come with me. Riko, go to the Mono-shift room with Mei. Everyone else, double check the Puzzle Room."

* * *

In the kitchen with me were Anne, Kamiyaki, Zraiko, Soro, Mest, and Tikari. Kyohi quickly stepped next to me, preparing to take notes.

"So then…" I crossed my arms, leaning against the kitchen wall. "Anne, let's start with you. What were you doing last night?"

Anne felt at her apron, looking down. "Well...Yuuta and myself went to the kitchen after dinner to wash up everything. He seemed to be...a bit distracted when I was talking to him. He said he was thinking quite a lot about the Puzzle Room, so...I told him about my clue."

"Any reason why he was so focused on it?" I looked to her.

Anne sighed, closing her eyes. "He wanted to help us escape. He wanted to get our precious items back, too. He said...he said that _someone_ had to try. I wanted to talk him out of it...I...I thought I managed to...but…"

I paused for a moment, seeing how she was becoming distressed. "...Anne?"

She looked up, her lip quivering. "Y-Yes?"

"...That was the last time you saw him?" I stood upright. "He didn't...mention anything else?"

"N...No…" She shook her head. "He did not. The last thing he told me was...he would see me tomorrow morning to make breakfast."

Kyohi quietly wrote notes on it.

"So...he didn't even give a hint on what he was up to." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Hmph. He did seem strange when I saw him."

"Do tell." I motioned to the hacker.

Zraiko shook his head. "While I was leaving my dorm to go to the shift room, I caught a glimpse of him from down the stairs. He was walking across the hall."

"...anybody with him?" I asked.

Zraiko frowned. "No."

I crossed my arms. "Hmm...I see…"

"Why are you acting in this way?" He asked me.

"H-Huh?" I blinked.

"Trying to act like a leader." Zraiko pointed to me. "You're in muddy water as well, you know."

Soro nodded in agreement. "Damn straight, Yuuta went to the Puzzle Room with you prior to this. Maybe _you_ were the person who went with him?!"

Defensively, I clenched my fist. "And throw myself into that damn hell _twice_?!"

"You would've known how to do it a second time, wouldn't you?" Soro frowned, feeling at his cap. "There's no rule that a student _can't do it twice_."

I looked down, silently. They were right...I had no rebuttal.

"...I went to the library last night." Mest spoke, softly. "I didn't see Yuuta, but I heard him speaking with someone."

Kamiyaki raised her hand. "U-Umm, I was on my way to the bathroom when I saw Yuuta walk by. He wasn't with anyone, though."

Tikari sighed, looking down. "I woke up to go to the kitchen, needing a snack. I passed by Anne, who was heading back to her room."

Anne nodded. "Yeah, Tikari was asking me if we had any fruit in the fridge. After that, I went to my room."

"I did not see Yuuta, though...not much help, eh?" Tikari sighed.

Kyohi quickly scribbled the notes into his notepad.

I took a moment to process all their statements. "...Hmm…"

"Spit it out, then." Soro pointed to me. "What were you doing last night?"

"M-Me? I was sleeping in my room…" I felt at my neck. "I...I don't remember waking up and going anywhere."

"Why did Mest tell me he saw you in the library?" Soro leaned in. "Or did you _conveniently forget_ about it?"

Now feeling my head, I shook it slowly. "I...don't remember leaving my room, honest."

Before Soro could continue, Mest stepped in. "It was a misunderstanding."

"Huh?" Soro looked over to Mest, eyebrow raised.

"Kozaki _was_ out of his room...however…" The tattoo artist shook his head. "Not of his own volition."

I felt at my right arm, nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Monobotto was dragging you back to your room, perhaps from the observatory." Mest nodded, slowly. "Seems like you had another appointment...to no memory, I suppose."

Feeling at my forehead, I couldn't manage a single memory. Perhaps Monobotto was aware of the...leaks of information I've been sharing. It must've found a way to suppress my memories fully.

"That makes Kozaki unreliable." Zraiko critically glared at me. "He doesn't even remember anything. Perhaps... _not remembering he killed someone_?"

Gulping, I couldn't find any words to say. He...he wasn't wrong...can I even trust myself?

Was that why I...felt unrested? I thought I hadn't slept at all...but perhaps...that's what Monobotto wanted me to think...

...I'm starting to become extremely weary over these… 'encounters' with Monobotto. The other three...do they remember anything at all? Is Monobotto also paying them all these visits?

"Umm...excuse me." Kamiyaki raised her hand, politely. "We're running out of time, guys. We only have fifteen minutes...have we investigated everything?"

Looking downwards, I shook my head. "I...have no clue where else to look. The others all went to double-check the Puzzle Room, check the Mono-shift room, and...the kitchen doesn't have any clues here...well…" I chuckled, lightly. "Besides the mess of the cookware left behind from today."

Mest nodded thoughtfully and walked over to the door. "There is one other place worth checking…"

We looked over to him, interested in his theory.

"...his dorm room."

* * *

With no lock on the door, possibly due to Yuuta's death, it was effortless to enter his dorm room. Yuuta's room was in order. The shelves were untouched for the most part, and his bed was fixed nicely. It seemed he was raised to always clean up thoroughly after himself. Must be why he and Anne went to clean up together after dinner rather than just leaving it for Monobotto to fuck around with.

Only one thing was not quite as pristine. The bed stand to the side was slightly disturbed, there being some scrap sheets of paper placed on top.

The Greek letters slowly morphed into English as I looked at them, just like when I read Riko's Bottolet. Picking up the papers, I read the various bits of notes to myself. They were plans...plans written by Yuuta to calculate who would be the best student to ask for help.

 _Anne - I can't ask her._

 _Zraiko - He is too busy programming._

 _Mest - He creeps me out…_

 _Kamiyaki - She seems like a good person, and she does know a thing or two about cheering..._

 _Riko - She is always willing to help others. Though, I think she would be against helping me with the Puzzle Room._

 _Kyohi - He's very friendly. I think he might help._

 _Neizami - Hmm...I'm not too sure how she would feel about this._

 _Fraize - He's a tour guide. I think he would be the best person to ask for solving the maze. However...I can't understand Spanish. I'm worried this would trip me up._

 _Mei - She hates everyone._

 _Tikari - She is also really nice, and she also can give instructions very well because of her talent. I might ask her if I see her._

 _Soro - Honestly, I don't know what to think about him._

 _Sayino - She's big and strong, but I don't think this will help me here…_

 _Weise - He's probably going to be more focused on drawing things in the room that inspire him._

 _Ingreis - She would just keep yelling at me…_

 _Kozaki - He seems to be interested in the Puzzle Room. He also talked with me about it earlier, so I could ask him. I think he might want to solve the puzzle as well…_

Nodding slowly, I needed a moment to mentally take note on Yuuta's papers. "...He was going to ask me, was he…?"

Mest walked over to me, taking a glance at the notes. His voice seemed to carry disappointment. "...He thought I'm creepy…?"

Chuckling lightly, I patted Mest on the back. "Well, the mask and being really quiet doesn't help your case."

Looking down, Mest sighed. "I see."

I watched as Mest slowly left the room, leaving me alone for the moment. This was Yuuta's room. He was alive here...in this room…

It felt cold. It felt...I couldn't even put it into words.

"Kozaki-Daisuke."

I looked over to see Monobotto rolling into the room. The other students watched from outside, backed away from the door. It seemed they feared Monobotto was going to slice me up...I wouldn't doubt it…

"There-you-are." Monobotto turned around to face the door, spouted an arm, and slammed it shut. "I-have-been-instructed-to-speak-with-you."

I looked to my wrist, as though I were checking a watch. "Yeah, uh...bad time. What a shame, I'm too busy right now investigating a murder. Come back later."

Monobotto turned around, slowly. "It-is-about-your-prize."

Gulping, I felt at my right arm. "Prize…?"

"In-the-event-that-you-correctly-identify-the-blackened," Monobotto beeped, retracting its arm. "You-will-be-receiving-the-instructions-for-the-next-phase."

"Phase of what?" I frowned, pointing at Monobotto. "I'm sick of playing along with your games. You can't make me do shit! Mind telling me what you've been doing to me in my sleep, while you're at it?!"

Monobotto rolled over to me slowly. "Funny-story-Kozaki-Daisuke. Very-funny-story. I-don't-need-to-tell-you-anything-about-last-night-or-any-previous-encounter." It sprouted out an arm once more and pointed at me. "I-can-make-any-student-here-bend-to-my-will."

Gritting my teeth, I had to restrain myself from kicking it away. "Just get the hell out of here. I'm busy trying to solve a murder that _you_ instigated!"

"I-know-the-weaknesses-of-everyone-here." Monobotto's mechanical hand reached up to stroke my hair. "You-as-well. You-are-incredibly-unstable. How-does-it-feel-when-I-stroke-your-hair-like-your-mother-does-?"

"Get the hell away from me." I muttered through my teeth.

"It-hurts-you. Does-it-not-?" Monobotto taunted me.

The door was suddenly opened with some force. Kyohi stepped in, aiming at Monobotto with a stapler. "Hey, tin can! Kozaki told you to get away!"

Monobotto pulled away, retracting its arm. "The-trial-is-starting-shortly. Let-us-see-if-you-will-die."

I watched silently as the bucket of bolts rolled away, feeling...I didn't even know. Pissed, clearly pissed. But...hurt. I just can't get over it, I can't shake it off…

Kyohi walked over to me, worriedly. The others all watched, careful to give us space. "Kozaki, are you alright?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "No...I...I don't think _any of this_ gives me a reason to feel okay… That stupid robot's doing shit to me without me even being _aware_ of it! How the hell could I be _okay_?!"

Kyohi looked as though he would call me out on my language, but he decided to let this one slide. He placed the stapler onto the bedside desk. "...Come on, Kozaki. We'll find the killer and show Monobotto that you won't die."

Smiling lightly, I nodded. "Thanks, Kyohi..."

* * *

"Kozaki, this is the third test you've failed in a row." My mother sighed, sitting with me at the dining room table. "It's going to get even harder in high school, you have to fix your footing."

Leaning back in my chair, I didn't give her a response.

"You were doing so well up until three months ago. Suddenly all your grades started slipping down a steep slope." My mother sighed and closed her eyes. "What happened?"

I shook my head, I didn't know what to say at all.

"Is it because Mikanne moved away?" She asked me. "Did your motivation just...fly away with him on that plane?"

I nodded, slowly.

My mother walked over to me and sat down in an adjacent chair. Patting her lap, I rested my head on her thighs.

"Even an explorer needs to have a strong foundation, Kozaki. You need to have good grades, okay?"

I closed my eyes, silently.

Stroking my hair, my mother continued, "You'll end up like your uncle if you can't do that. Accepting money from people, even if the job is unethical."

"I'm not gonna sell drugs, Mom." I looked up to her face. "I promise."

She sighed, gently placing a hand on my cheek. "I hope so, son. I really hope so…"

"I love you, Mom." I sat up and gave her a hug. "I'll try to be better…"

My mother returned the hug, kissing me on the forehead. "I love you too, Kozaki."

Selling drugs was a code name my parents used to describe what my uncle does. I knew too well that he didn't _actually_ do that, I just wish I knew what he did instead.

The last time I saw my uncle was about eleven years ago. My father's younger brother...he had been helping our family with money troubles.

That is until my parents found out how he was getting that money…

I don't remember much about it. Apparently his job in Japan was something so distasteful to my parents that my father kicked him out of the family.

"Don't even _think_ about laying your hands on even a _strand_ of my son's hair!" I remembered him shouting.

But...why? What was he doing?

"Oh, come on! The cash he could get for you guys if he wins is in the millions! You won't have to live in this run-down shack! And I will be able to stop sending you money!" My uncle called out.

"You can stop sending it right now!" My father yelled.

Wins... what?

I wanted to ask him about it. What did I have to win? What did I have to do...to get my family more money?

My mother and I were together upstairs in my bedroom. She was hugging me tightly, stroking my hair. "It's okay, you'll be okay…"

"Mom…" I hugged her back, tearing up. "I'm scared…"

"It's okay, Kozaki. We'll protect you...You won't be going anywhere…" She closed her eyes, tearing up. "I'm not going to lose you...I promise."

"I don't wanna be lost, Mom." I sniffled. "Why is Uncle Haiji fighting with Dad? Is he trying to lose me?"

My mother held me even tighter, on the verge of crying. "He wants you to sell drugs with him, and I'll never let that happen."

Whatever it was my crazy uncle was doing, I suppose he's still doing it now.

When I asked my parents, they told me he was selling a drug that was poisoning the world. Something called…

 _Danganronpa_ …

* * *

We all gathered at the compass, facing the doors to an elevator. They opened, slowly...the metal creaking and sliding with high friction. Inside was hallow, barren...an endless void waiting for us all to step inside.

Weise was chewing his thumb nail, he seemed to be quite terrified. Meanwhile, Zraiko had goosebumps on his neck. Mei had her arms crossed, eyes shut tight. She was sweating, the first time I could sense a feeling besides 'I will end you' from her. Ingreis tried to look professional, but even she couldn't hide her fear. Hell, even I'm fucking terrified of what's waiting beyond the elevator doors. We all stood...just staring. Nobody dared to enter, not even one step closer.

"...Guys…" Kyohi looked down, worriedly. "Do we...do we really...have to do this?"

"We don't have a choice." Sayino sighed, knocking on her helmet that rested on her shoulder. "That Monobotto will kill all of us if we don't, surely. We're damned to not do as we're told."

"...I...I don't think I can do this…" I looked back to them all, gulping. "F-Finding...one of _us_ killed someone...we're going to send someone here... _to die_ …"

Riko held her hands, lip quivering. "Either that...o-or _we'll all die instead_ …"

Silence.

"...Come on, then."

We turned to Kamiyaki. She was smiling, confidently. "Cheer up, right? We've gotta do it to survive. A clear mind will help us get into the game."

Despite her words of encouragement, Kamiyaki seemed to be quite pale. I didn't want to call her out for it, so I decided to take her words to heart. "...You're right."

"Huh?" Fraize looked over to me. "Esta bien?"

I stepped forward, into the elevator. Everyone was quite surprised, to say the least.

"K-Kozaki…?" Riko asked, worriedly.

"Come on, then." I repeated Kamiyaki's words, frowning. "We've gotta do it to survive."

The others all exchanged glances. Riko then smiled lightly and walked into the elevator, standing besides me. Then came Fraize, Kyohi...everyone one by one. The doors shut behind us...and the elevator began to move.

I closed my eyes tightly, my hands were shaking. That was...until two people took both of my hands. I looked up to see both Riko and Fraize were holding them, each one offering me a smile.

* * *

The doors opened to reveal a room with a ring of what appeared to be witness stands, though made of metal and glass...quite modern to say the least. To the side was a chair where Monobotto was waiting, with fountains to both sides. It glared at us with its soulless, glassy eyes. "Took-you-fools-long-enough."

Taking a moment to look around, I noticed that the ring connecting all the stands appeared to be glassy...some kind of large touch screen?

There were also several screens around the room. It only confused me further, I couldn't recognize any kind of courtroom from this... _mess_.

"You-each-will-stand-in-alphabetical-order-by-last-name." Monobotto pointed to us. "Hurry-up-then. You're-all-old-enough-to-know-A-goes-before-B."

Each spot was numbered one through sixteen. Mest took the first spot, so...I suppose his last name must've started with an A. Next to him stood Ingreis, and I took spot number three. Yuuta...would've taken the fourth spot had this not been his trial. Next was Tikari, while Riko took spot number six. Kyohi at number seven, Mei at number eight...Anne at nine, Fraize at ten. Sayino stood next to him, and Zraiko took spot twelve. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen were Neizami, Soro, Kamiyaki, and Weise respectively.

I was extremely uncomfortable to be standing next to a portrait of Yuuta...a placeholder...for all eternity…it made me fear that one day I might end up...in such a cruel way.

...One of us killed Yuuta. One of us is the blackened. If we can't find out who...we'll die. I'm fucking terrified, I don't want to know…

But there is no choice. There never was a choice.

"Now-that-you're-all-set." Monobotto spun around in its chair, excitedly. "We-can-begin-!"

 **CLASS TRIAL, START.**

* * *

~Chapter One, Deadly Life Part One, End~

~Chapter One, Class Trial Part One, Start~


	6. Labyrinth of my Absolution Trial 1

I was ashamed of myself for watching that show. It started off as just a peek to see what was going on, to know what the people were all talking about. It changed into something...sinister. While waiting for the 53rd season, I went back to watch older seasons. I wanted to get to know the characters, I wanted to know more. I ended up watching every season, knowing every character, seeing every struggle.

16 out of the 52 seasons ended with the blackened escaping, ended with every spotless being executed without mercy...one after another.

I kept telling myself it was just a show, that it was just...all in my head. It's staged, it's fake...those weren't real people.

...But...that's when I saw season 53. That's when I realised how much of a fool I was.

I didn't know how real this show was until the detective yelled at me for watching this show, shaking me to my core, _screaming_ at me that these were real people. _Screaming_ at me that these lives were suffering. I shut the TV off and hid under my blankets, terrified.

How long was I hooked on that drug? A good year, no doubt. That drug...I let it poison me. I got high on _Danganronpa_ , and I let it consume me.

My parents...they were right. It was a drug poisoning the world...a drug poisoning me. I was so absorbed into its fictional world, I didn't realize...just how gone I was.

I couldn't face them, my parents. They warned me and I, their foolish son, ignored them.

 _Danganronpa_ was my everything. It was the stimulant to fill the emptiness within me, something to keep me going every day with a feeling of...excitement. I was never as invested in a TV program as I was with this one.

...I felt guilty...horrified...I let that show reduce me to nothing but a faceless pawn.

Dropping friends, dropping grades...dropping out of highschool...dropping everything...

I was a drug addict, and I let it ruin me.

* * *

"...Que sommes-nous beginning?" Weise looked around, baffled.

"Clearly we're supposed to use this as some kind of courtroom." Ingreis looked around the room, then sighed when she looked to me. "Oh joy...Kozaki has blessed me with his presence."

I frowned, feeling at my right arm. "Gee, thanks. It's not like you're standing next to...I don't know... _YUUTA'S FUCKING PORTRAIT!"_

Tikari sighed, looking to Yuuta's portrait that she, too, was standing besides. "It...is quite scary, eh?"

"Guys, please…" Riko held her hands together, worriedly. "We need to stay calm."

"Calm...right...right…" I looked down. "I...I'm calm…fucking calm..."

Kyohi coughed into his hand, uncomfortably.

"S-Sorry, Kyohi." I took in a deep breath. "I'll...I'll stop now…"

"Are-you-fools-done-being-foolish-?" Monobotto beeped, unenthused. "We-have-a-trial-to-start."

Mei pointed at Monobotto, one eye closed. "Just cut the mierda and get to the point, robotto estúpido."

"Fine-then." Monobotto spun around once, beginning its explanation. "Each-one-of-you-has-a-special-glove-fitted-for-your-dominant-hand." Monobotto pressed a button besides its throne, causing mechanical arms to sprout from the floor. My right hand was forcefully grabbed as a computerized glove was slipped on. I felt at my hand as the arms retreated to the floor, examining the glove carefully. It's a perfect fit... _too perfect_ …

"These-gloves-will-allow-you-to-manipulate-your-truth-bullets-in-the-trial." The robot wasn't waiting for anyone.

Truth...bullets...?

"Now-then-fools." Monobotto pointed towards the glassy ring connecting the podiums. "This-ring-here-is-where-you-may-all-upload-your-truth-bullets. Take-some-time-to-create-them-and-add-details-to-them."

I looked down to the screen of my podium, seeing that I was being prompted to create my own truth bullets. I looked up to see Kyohi was going through his notebook, so I trusted him to upload all our notes. Now then...what else was there to mention?

...The Puzzle Room. It was different when I entered it, the maze at the very least. I decided to make a few bullets based on my experience.

What else, then? Well...how far back before the murder would be important?

I made a truth bullet about Yuuta's memory loss, how he carries his diary everywhere. I also added the detail of him leaving it in his room for a while, hoping that the information would have some kind of significance. I made a few more bullets, including people's accounts and what they were doing.

Upon finishing up, an icon in the shape of an arrow suddenly appeared, pointing towards the glass ring. Since I didn't see any other option, I tapped on the icon. My truth bullets suddenly turned coral pink in color, and were sent up and into the ring, combining with everyone else's to produce a circle of many colors. Some of the bullets merged together, possibly due to there being an overlap of information.

"As-you-debate-in-the-trial," Monobotto explained the truth bullets to us, "You-can-pick-up-a-bullet-with-your-glove-and-shoot-a-fellow-student's-testimony."

Blinking, I didn't understand it at all. How do we...shoot a testimony?

"As-you-speak-in-a-debate," That bucket of bolts must've read my mind, "Your-words-will-be-replicated-with-holograms. These-words-can-be-challenged-with-your-truth-bullets."

...So I...shoot the bullets at the holograms. Right then...

"If-you-see-a-statement-that-is-orange-in-color," Monobotto spun around. "That-means-it-can-be-challenged-for-being-a-weak-statement. Do-not-be-a-fool-and-challenge-the-wrong-statement. You-will-look-like-an-even-bigger-fool."

If I see something orange, I shoot the truth bullet at that, but...at the same time it's...not always right?

...What the hell? Even in school, we had a damn practice test before being thrown into the real deal!

"A-blue-statement-is-one-you-may-agree-with. You-can-back-that-with-a-truth-bullet." The robot hopped up and down on its chair, although I have no idea how. "A-green-statement-can-be-pressed-to-get-more-information-and-eliminate-vague-gloss-overs. The-color-of-these-statements-depends-all-on-your-own-eyes."

Right then...so orange, blue, and green statements…

I feel...ashamed of myself to be listening to that robot. After it ridiculed us, got someone killed... _fucked with me multiple times_...I wanted nothing to do with this trial. Unfortunately...I had no choice but to stay on whatever track this hell-train was chugging along, with that wingnut being at the helm.

Monobotto spun around in excitement. "Let's-get-this-show-on-the-road-!"

The podiums we stood at began to glow and lift from the ground. I had to grab on as the initial movement caused me to lose ballance. Now a foot in the air, we all turned to Monobotto as it began to provide more instructions.

"Here-is-a-brief-explanation-of-the-trial. Listen-well-fools. I-will-not-be-repeating-myself." Monobotto spun around once. "During-the-trial-you-will-each-present-your-arguments-and-come-to-a-consensus-to-who-the-blackened-is. Vote-correctly-and-the-blackened-will-be-executed. Vote-incorrectly-and-you-fools-will-die-while-the-blackened-escapes."

Nervously, I bit my lip. T-This is really happening... isn't it?

...All of this...feels so familiar. Not that I've ever _done_ this, hell no. But...I feel like I've... _seen_ it before…

"You-can-select-a-suspect-to-drive-a-discussion-by-selecting-their-name-on-the-tablet. You-may-remove-your-suspicious-placeholder-if-you-change-your-mind. Refusing-to-vote-will-result-in-your-death. There-is-zero-tolerance-for-those-who-refrain-from-voting." The bot eyed at us, coldly. "You-may-now-begin-your-debates. Your-arguments. Your-hopeless-trial-of-life-and-death."

We all looked at eachother, waiting for someone to break the silence. None of us have ever done anything even remotely close to...whatever this was. We had no idea where to even _start_ …

"Guys…"

We looked over to Riko, who was taking in a deep breath. She looked to the side, clearly uncomfortable. "Maybe...we should take a moment to look over our evidence…?"

I looked down to the glass ring. Just below it was a slide bar on my podium, to which I gave a quick swipe. This caused the entire ring of bullets to swing around...the number of bullets was... _overwhelming_ …

"Kozaki, do you mind?" Ingreis frowned, looking over to me. "Don't go touching everything like a child in a toy store."

Embarrassed, I pulled my hand away. "S-Sorry...I just wanted to see the evidence."

"Don't forget we _all_ share this ring." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "When you spin it, you're spinning it for _everyone_."

I sighed, looking down. "S-S-Sorry, I'll stop…"

"Should we...think of it as a courtroom, like Ingreis mentioned?" Kyohi raised his hand, timidly. "Like...like that?"

Neizami shook her head. "I don't think any of that matters here...after all...this entire situation is quite…"

"Ridiculous." Sayino chuckled, scratching the back of her head. "There's a lot of ways you could finish that sentence."

"Guys, can we stay on topic, _please_?" Zraiko felt at his temple. "We're trying to solve a _murder,_ incase you forgot. Take this a bit more... _seriously_."

A brief silence.

"Wow. You-fools-are-absolute-fools." Monobotto beeped, seemingly it was incredibly bored with us. "Do-I-have-to-walk-you-through-everything-?"

"Maybe _you_ can tell us who the killer is!" Soro crossed his arms. "Save us a lot of time, yeah? I don't like to have my time wasted."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha." Monobotto spun around once. "You-are-so-funny. I-will-do-no-such-thing."

Zraiko groaned and shook his head. "Guess I'll be the one keeping this shit show together." He pointed at me. "Kozaki, tell us about your experience in the Puzzle Room."

"H-Huh?" I gulped, a little anxious as to why he was calling on me.

"Yuuta went through the puzzle just like you. Only difference is that you came out alive." Zraiko motioned to me with his hand. "You've...experienced what he went through, in a way. So tell us about it."

I closed my eyes for a moment to recall the event. "...Well...I was forced to wear a bracelet that could've injected me with poison. I was blindfolded, and...my mouth was taped shut. I had to rely on the others to guide me through the maze."

"That sounds...very scary…" Kamiyaki gulped and looked away.

"And you did the fire segment of the puzzle yourself." Zraiko nodded. "You couldn't have their help."

"N-No...I was on my own there." I felt at my right arm. "After I finished, the others joined me. I...fainted after we found Yuuta."

"We honestly thought you were the victim when we rushed into the room." Sayino scratched the back of her head. "With all those cuts and that deep gash in your arm...I had to carry you to your dorm room, you know."

Mest nodded, silently.

"Paler than a snowflake on a winter's day, non?" Weise looked to the side.

"You're lucky we yelled at Monobotto to get your wounds fixed up." Soro pointed at me. "You could've bled out, damn it."

That bucket of bolts fixed my wounds?

...Bullshit. That wignut wants nothing more _but_ to wound me.

Physically...and emotionally…

Heh. Guess if I died, it wouldn't be able to harass me anymore.

I sighed and looked away, ashamed. "I...I'm sorry for troubling you all…"

"Anyways…" The hacker redirected the conversation. "Obviously we know Yuuta died in the Puzzle Room, nobody dragged his body there from another place." Zraiko pointed to his wrist. "Because Yuuta had that bracelet forced on. The question is...at what point did he die there?"

"I fail to see why we're repeating facts we already know." Weise shook his head. "Non, I don't think this will get us anywhere."

"Actually…" Riko nodded. "I think we should go over Yuuta's death slowly and clearly. It's a good first step."

With a small wave of murmurs, we began to discuss the circumstances around Yuuta's death.

"Yuuta died at 4:25 this morning." Neizami recalled. "However, we didn't find him officially until almost eleven hours after.

"The cause of death is undetermined, but his heart rate was rapidly increasing." Anne felt at her apron. " **So...maybe he was terrified."**

"Tambien, I would be terrified!" Fraize shivered. "Actualmente, estoy preocupada ahora!"

"Uhg. Can you tone down the Spanish a little?" Ingreis frowned. "We can't understand you when we _need_ to understand everyone!"

"L-Lo siento…" Fraize looked down. "I-I can't control it…"

Soro spoke up. "In any case, Yuuta was found dead at the very end of the puzzle room."

"Yuuta's body had a lot of cuts on it. **What if he died in the maze, and the killer moved him to the end of the puzzle room?"** Tikari asked.

Something in me clicked subconsciously. I reached over to the sliding panel and slowly spun it to pick up a truth bullet. I ended up holding a holographic replica of the bullet...good to see each bullet could be used indispensably.

 _Puzzle Room Rules,_ it read.

Readying it, I aimed at Tikari's statement.

" _ **Just one second!"**_

Everyone turned to me, seeing I had shot the truth bullet.

"W-What was that, Kozaki?" Kyohi asked.

I looked to my right hand. "I-I...think I...did a thing, err...with the bullet and…" I then shook my head. "A-Anyways. Tikari, it's not possible for Yuuta to have died in the maze. The rules explain why."

The special educator looked downwards. "O-Oh...my mistake…"

"Kozaki is right." Riko nodded. "If Yuuta died in the maze, his killer wouldn't have been able to finish the puzzle because he wouldn't have reached the checkpoint."

"I see." Mei crossed her arms and nodded. "Termina a few ways he could've died."

"He did not peek or speak in the maze." Neizami eliminated the options while counting with her fingers. "He did not get killed by falling into any traps."

"So then...if he died after reaching the checkpoint, what happened?" Anne asked.

This sparked a minor debate.

"He might've chosen the **wrong wire at the end."** Soro shrugged. "That's one idea, right?"

"That would explain for the fact his pulse was rising so fast." Ingreis looked to the side. "But you could say that for anything, right?"

"Pienso que Yuuta didn't even choose a wire." Fraize pointed an index finger upwards.

"Maybe Yuuta **ran out of time?"** Anne closed her eyes. "After all...maybe that's why his pulse was rising so much."

"We can't just rely on his pulse to justify everything." Zraiko shook his head.

" _ **One moment, please!"**_

We looked over to see Riko had fired a truth bullet to Anne's statement. She looked to her hand in surprise, but shook it off. "Anne, I-I'm sorry. Yuuta couldn't have run out of time."

Anne blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

I raised my hand to answer the her question. "Well...it would've helped if we had the time earlier to disclose our findings, but...we found audio recordings from the Puzzle Room."

Riko nodded. "That's right. The audio instructed to the killer that he or she would have Yuuta's remaining time."

"Ocho minutos." Fraize recalled. "The killer had eight minutes left."

Anne looked down. "O-Oh...my apologies…"

"If I may make an assertion." Zraiko nodded. "We need to find what Code 3 is."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, and you think that nut-head robot is just going to tell us?"

Monobotto hopped up and down, as though it were enjoying this. "Certainly-not-!"

"I think in order for us to find that out…" Neizami looked over to me. "Kozaki, when you were in the fire segment of the puzzle...did you see any signs of there already being a burnt wire?"

I shook my head. "No."

Monobotto beeped, willing to give us one hint. "The-puzzle-is-reset-to-a-random-orientation-after-each-attempt."

Ingreis nodded. "Ah, so the puzzle Kozaki solved was the same at its core, but down to the details…"

"The maze would be different, and so would the fire puzzle." Sayino crossed her arms.

So that's why the puzzle looked differently to the one I first saw with Yuuta…

That helped to cut down the ways he could've died. If I was under stress, what would I do? Panic, obviously. If I saw someone panic…

I would help them.

"Could it be that his viewer was the one who broke the rule?" I crossed my arms. "That...could explain why this is considered a homicide."

"You mean...the viewer tried to help Yuuta in the fire segment of the puzzle." Neizami felt at her cheek. "...There was a rule saying that the person in the puzzle would be killed in that case."

Weise was upset by this. "What? But that's not even fair, non!"

Mei scowled. "That means Yuuta got fucked over by whoever his viewer was, even if he was paying close attention to the rules. No esta justo!"

Monobotto cackled in it's monotone mechanical voice. "He-he-he-he. Rules-are-rules-you-fools. Broken-rules-means-poisoned-fools. I-had-to-do-it-to-him. No-exceptions."

We all shot glances to the robo-soccer-ball. Some of them frightened, some of them annoyed, some of them pissed.

* * *

The day I told my parents was probably the worst day of my life. We were eating dinner together, my dad had prepared us some of his famous vegetable curry.

"Nice day, right?" My father smiled, taking a bite of his food. "Made a good sale today, will be sending off wood to build a new animal shelter."

My mother nodded. "Yes, and I worked on a new commission for the town hall." She looked over to me. "Did you see your therapist today, Kozaki?"

I slowly shook my head, playing with my food. "...I didn't want to."

A short silence, my father put his fork down. "Son, we've talked about this before. You need to see Mrs. Loric every week."

"I couldn't see her this week." I shut my eyes. "Not after...not after…"

"Not after what, son?" My father looked to me with worry.

"...Not after what I saw last night…" I sighed, taking a bite of my father's curry. It was spicy...almost too hot for me to handle. The fragrance, though, was alluring.

"What did you see last night?" My mother asked, also lowering her silverware.

"...Saihara…" I quickly covered my mouth.

My parents looked to each other, then back to me. My father's face grew pale. "...What did you say?"

I shook my head, then taking another bite of the curry. "T-This is good curry, Dad."

"Don't change the subject, Kozaki." My father slowly leaned in. "...Tell me."

Gulping, sweat slipped from my forehead down my face. I don't know if it was because of the spice...or because of my fear.

My father slowly stood up from the table and walked over to me, kneeling besides my chair. "...Talk to me, _please_."

I slowly began to tear up. "I-I'm...I'm sorry, Dad...I saw it...I saw the…" I covered my face in shame.

My mother walked over and knelt by the other side of my seat. "Saw the what, Kozaki?"

I couldn't tell them. It was...it was too much. I quickly dove from my chair under the table, running to my room upstairs. I shut the door and locked it, sliding down against the barrier I put up.

My father knocked on my door, worriedly. "Kozaki? Please, don't be scared. Just talk to us, please."

I shook my head over and over...over and over…

My mother whispered, gently. "...You saw the drugs. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Beginning to sob, I kept shaking my head. "I'm...I'm sorry...I-I'm sorry!"

"How much...how much of those drugs did you see?" My father asked me, growing tense.

I couldn't answer them. I couldn't tell them I saw every season, every episode. I looked over to the window of my room and opened it, pushing out the screen. Without even thinking...I slung my flamethrower across my back and lept onto the tree next to my room. I slid down...and I ran.

I ran and ran and ran...I didn't look back even once. I wanted to escape, to run away…

They found me two hours later, hiding in the wreckage of the old cave, crying my eyes out.

* * *

"You know, now that we know for certain Yuuta died because of his viewer…" Sayino looked to the side. "What happened right after that?"

"His viewer finished the puzzle on his behalf." Riko closed her eyes. "He or she must've opened the door and got the key. And then…"

"Hid his body inside the room," I sighed, "...hoping that nobody would ever find him."

"I had a look at the crime scene during the second visit." Sayino nodded. "The kitchen lighter, the splotches on the floor...the bloody words…"

"Je t'ai dit, Sayino." Weise rolled his eyes. "Those splotches were mascara."

I looked over to Weise, interested in his identification. "Really?"

"Obviously." He pointed to his eyes, to his own mascara. "Whoever did this was wearing mascara. A mascara that was not tear proof at that." He lowered his hand and then put both his hands in his pockets. "Oui, it seems the killer had quite the water-works."

Kamiyaki pointed to Weise, timidly. "So...a-are you a suspect then?"

Weise looked over to her in surprise. "Hein?! Non! I only wear tear proof mascara!"

"We can't just take your word for it." Zraiko fixed his glasses and looked to Weise critically. "I say _anyone_ who was wearing mascara around the time of the murder is a suspect here."

I looked to the side. "Let's save the suspicions for later. We're not done with tracing the killer's behavior."

Zraiko looked over to me, glaring. "Are you scared, Kozaki?"

I looked to Zraiko, holding my right arm. "What do you mean?"

"Scared to have suspects. Scared to jump right in and get this over with, just because you want to be _oblivious_. You don't want to know who the killer is." Zraiko shook his head. "We won't survive unless we go over the suspects one at a time and break down their testimonies."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I know that, Zraiko. I'm...just trying to get the whole picture. Yes I'm scared, but I...I don't think we can just jump right into the suspicions until we know everything that happened."

A short silence. Anne spoke up, softly. "Let's talk about the night before, to get the order of events."

Kyohi looked to his notepad. "Well...just after dinner, you claim that Yuuta came with you to the kitchen. That's when you told him about the clue."

Anne nodded. "That's right."

"Can we get a timestamp on that?" Soro asked, adjusting his cap. "You know...so we can have a timeline."

Anne thoughtfully closed her eyes. "Hmm...I believe it was...22:50."

So...10:50 PM. That's right, Anne is from Europe. In Europe, every single country uses military time. I think this was enforced...thirty five years ago?

Getting back on track, I looked over to Zraiko. "You saw him walking by. What time was that?"

The hacker shrugged. "I'd say around 1:30."

I then looked over to Mest. "And you, what time did you hear him speaking with that person?"

"...Solid 4:00." Mest nodded. "Perhaps it was an arranged time, as it was sharp on the hour."

I needed more information. These were huge leaps of time between each of the sightings of Yuuta...what was he doing?

"I ran into Anne at about 11:25 PM." Tikari looked over to Anne. "Seems Yuuta had to leave you to finish the cleaning, eh?"

Anne shook her head. "No, he left after we were done. I stayed behind in the kitchen."

"For 35 minutes?" Ingreis squinted her eyes. "Cupcake, what were you up to?"

The patisserie sighed, feeling her apron once more. "I ate some leftover dinner by myself, since I was lost in thought."

"...And Kamiyaki?" I looked over to the cheerleader. "When did you see Yuuta?"

"W-Well...I don't know what the exact time was." Kamiyaki tapped her fingertips together. "Maybe at around 2:40…?"

"And I saw him at maybe 2:35." Soro nodded. "So Kamiyaki and I saw him relatively at the same time."

I crossed my arms for a good moment. "Soro...Kamiyaki...your rooms are right across from each other, right?"

They both nodded.

"...Soro, you didn't tell us what you did last night." Mest looked over to Soro. "In fact, it sounded as though you were pushing the suspicion onto Kozaki...why is that?"

Soro frowned. "Do you really have to know I went to take a shit?!"

"...Yes." Mest shrugged, simply.

"Well there you have it!" Soro shouted for us all to hear. "I took a shit! _I took a shit! I TOOK A SHIT!"_

"You can stop letting that meirda fly out of your mouth." Mei rolled her eyes.

"I-I...didn't." Kamiyaki felt at her neck. "I went to...pee…" She was clearly embarrassed.

Uhg...our progress was slower than waiting in line to get a passport cleared at an international airport. What I found interesting was…

"Soro...when you went to the bathroom, did you hear another toilet flush?" I eyed at the cinematographer.

"No." He shook his head.

Strange...so strange…

"I see what you mean, Kozaki." Zraiko pointed to Soro and Kamiyaki. "If you both went to the bathroom in such a short range of time, you should've at least heard another toilet flush, if not even seeing the other person."

Kamiyaki quickly raised her hand. " **U-Umm...actually, I didn't use the downstairs bathroom."**

" _ **Hold on a minute!"**_ I picked up a truth bullet labeled _Kamiyaki's Account_ and shot it to her words. "You never mentioned this until now. Why is that?"

The cheerleader sighed. "Remember when I told you I couldn't sleep last night? I went to my shift room to try and...place myself in an area that made me feel safe. I locked the room to shut myself in, and just...focus on cheering to stay positive."

"...So it was you." Zraiko adjusted his glasses.

"What do you mean?" I turned to the hacker.

Zraiko motioned towards Kamiyaki. "When I first went to my shift room, one of them was locked in use. I thought it was Mest checking out the tattoo equipment again."

The tattoo artist shook his head. "No, I spent the entire night in the library."

"So you saw Yuuta while you were on your way to the bathroom." I scratched the back of my head. "From the stairs, just like Zraiko did earlier?"

She nodded. "That's it, yep."

I took a moment to piece the timeline together. "So first thing, Anne told Yuuta about the Puzzle Room. He went to his room for a while...I suppose that was when he was writing that list we found. I think he took a long time because of his memory disorder."

Riko nodded. "He might've needed to keep checking his diary as he wrote his list, so it would make sense if he was slower."

Tikari tapped her fingers together. "Then I passed by Anne in the halls when I went to get something to eat."

"I then saw him walking across the hall downstairs." Zraiko paused to think. "Perhaps at that point, he was going to look for someone to be his viewer."

"I saw Yuuta walking across the hall again when I went to the bathroom." Kamiyaki nodded.

"So did I." Soro felt at his cap.

Mest finished it off. "And then I heard him speaking with someone...though I couldn't tell who it was."

"I don't suppose you take it that Kozaki, Sayino, Fraize, and Mei all have alibis, then?" Neizami tapped against her podium. "Due to the...appointments with Monobotto…"

An unfortunate alibi...but...atleast I _had_ one. I sighed, uncomfortably. "Seems so."

Monobotto beeped. "I-will-only-give-confirmation-for-Kozaki-Daisuke. You-will-have-to-prove-the-rest-were-out-as-well."

"But..." Riko looked to us four in worry. "What are you...doing in those checkups?"

Monobotto simply spun around once. "That-is-irrelevant-to-the-trial."

My ass, that nut-head wouldn't tell us anyway. I hate that. I hate not knowing. It's...frightening…

"Now that we have a solid _before_ , let's see what we have for the _after_." Ingreis closed her eyes. "We can assume the killer must've been done with the puzzle not too long after, given the eight minutes remaining."

"Then he or she placed his body inside the small room and...?" Sayino asked.

"Wrote the bloody message, also leaving the key with Yuuta." Neizami tapped her fingertips together in thought.

"...But why leave the key?" Weise crossed his arms. "The killer could've taken it."

A small debate was started over the reasoning behind leaving the key.

"Maybe the killer **wanted to throw us off?"** Kyohi felt at his left shoulder.

"Estoy muy confused, sí…" Fraize scratched the back of his head.

Mei tapped against her podium. "So el traidor había sido **scheming an ulterior motive?"**

"The killer was probably **stupid."** Soro felt at his cap. "I would've taken the key."

Riko held her hands together. "Umm...honestly, maybe the killer **wanted to atone."**

"No way, hermana." Mei shook her head. "This is a killer we are talking about. **An evil monster."**

I picked up a truth bullet again, this time one labeled, _Bloody Words Above Yuuta_.

" _ **I think that's it!"**_

They all looked to see I shot the bullet to Riko's statement.

"...What the hell, Dunce-suke?" Mei groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Let me explain." I sighed. "The bloody words above Yuuta, I mean. The killer went out of their way to spend time writing a message in blood, rather than just...leaving him there. I honestly don't think there was an ulterior motive."

Zraiko pointed at me, critically. "You're doing it again, Kozaki. You can't let fear control you."

"It's not that." I looked over to Zraiko. "We've...been so hooked up on knowing someone here is a killer, we've forgotten why."

"What do you mean, Kozaki?" Kamiyaki asked, looking to hear my perspective.

I frowned, nodding confidently. "I assert that the murder was accidental."

This caused...quite the display from the others.

"Are you saying that **just because of some bloody words?"** Ingreis shook her head.

Soro nodded, agreeing with the figure skater. "Yeah, sounds kinda dumb. What if the killer broke the rules on purpose? We have **no other reason to believe it was an accident."**

"Oui...it's not like we can just ask the killer if it was an accident or not." Weise crossed his arms.

Mei shrugged, simply. " **Dunce-suke is just talking mierda."**

"Don't be rude, por favor Mei…" Fraize gulped.

" _ **Just one second!"**_

This time feeling more confident, I pointed at Soro. I used the bullet, _Puzzle Room Rules_. "That Code 3 that was broken. It was because the killer was giving Yuuta instructions."

"...We already know what." Soro frowned, feeling at his cap.

"Ok, hear me out. Rephrase that sentence." I nodded. "The killer was _helping_ Yuuta. You guys completely overlooked the word _**help."**_

A short silence. Riko nodded, slowly. "I agree, Kozaki...the person responsible for Yuuta's death surely did not want him to die."

"Oh, and I don't suppose that el traidor didn't read the rules, huh?" Mei shook her head.

Zraiko adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Kozaki, you are being too naive."

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "I think you guys are...being too hard on the killer. You...all assume them to be some... _monster_ out for blood."

"Aren't all killers monsters?" Sayino looked to the side. "...They say it becomes...much easier to kill someone after doing it once."

"...No lo pienso que the killer was evil." Fraize looked down to the ground. "Fue accidental..."

"Estúpido." Mei frowned.

"A killer is a killer." Zraiko crossed his arms.

Kamiyaki raised her hand, lightly. "But I think it was an accident, too. The blood said he or she was sorry."

"And you'll just believe it?" Ingreis squinted her eyes.

"Why not believe it, then?" Kyohi felt his left shoulder.

Neizami looked to the floor. "I also think it was an accident…"

"Guys, please!"

We turned to Anne, who was tearing up. Her hands gripped her apron, shaking. "Please...we'll...we'll never find who killed Yuuta at this rate…"

Sighing, I looked to the side. "...Regardless of what the killer was thinking, the key was found in Yuuta's pockets. That's the end of the story."

Another wave of silence.

* * *

Some nights I stayed up, no particular reason at all. Neither to read a good book, nor to watch TV, not even to sneak outside. I just...would stare up to the ceiling, lost in thought.

It felt as though everything in my life was falling to shambles, and I was just waiting for my time to come, where I too...would collapse.

I felt like an absolute disappointment, having failed everything I attempted. I wanted to get good grades, but I was never able to focus in classes.

I dropped out of highschool about two years ago, when I was a junior. I just...didn't see a point in trying so hard for...nothing.

No university would ever want me, and finding a job would be impossible. All because of my 'records.'

I never wanted to cause harm to others, but...lighting fires were a way for me to vent. I would watch the flames whisp around with intense heat...they made me feel like I still had something inside me, burning. However...just as all flames live, they die. I was just...waiting for my own fire to die as well.

I never had the courage to off myself. I didn't want to do my parents dirty like that, not after everything they've done for me. They didn't deserve that pain. Instead, I just found ways to make my life more miserable.

Burning down that first house made life...interesting. I remember standing there, watching silently. The police scratched their heads, wondering how a near-twelve-year-old could manage something of this caliber. My parents were shocked, quite a lot of people grew weary of my presence.

...But I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel remorse or anger, and surely I wasn't happy about it either. It was...just very interesting.

I suppose...it was so interesting, I would start to burn more things down as well. Old buildings, random shit too. It was...almost enjoyable.

The first time I was arrested, it was...perhaps two weeks after I turned eighteen. The legal age, obviously. My parents sighed as they read the warrant, 'Arrested for arson.'

Heh...so much for having a good life, eh?

What a failure I am.

* * *

I slowly stepped back from the edge of my podium, looking down. I figured...there's nothing more I can do. I can't convince them something that's just theoretical without proof...and well…I suppose my proof just wasn't solid enough. I guess...Zraiko and the others can handle this...I'll just keep my Dunce-suke mouth shut...

"I say we take a look at what happened later that day." Sayino pumped a fist upwards. "If the killer was still awake, surely he or she would've been absolutely exhausted when we saw him or her later that morning."

"I don't think that's solid reasoning to suspect someone." Kyohi felt the back of his neck.

"We can still give it a try, though." Neizami smiled. "It will be a start."

Zraiko sighed and shrugged. "Well...I was exhausted because I stayed up programming. I was actually sleeping when the Body Discovery Announcement happened, waking me up."

Anne brushed her apron. "I got a good amount of sleep. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to cook for everyone."

"I was tired, but only because I had an anxiety attack last night. That's why I decided to go to my shift room." Kamiyaki motioned to Anne. "But if I was _terribly_ tired, then I wouldn't have been able to help Anne cook."

Tikari tapped her fingertips together. "I got good sleep. All I did was get a snack."

Soro shrugged. "I just made a quick stop to the bathroom. I went to Zraiko's shift room when I woke up to check on how he was progressing."

Mest felt at his left wrist. "I stayed up all night in the library, so...I admit even now I feel as though I'll fall asleep…"

"No-sleeping-while-trial-is-in-session-!" Monobotto pointed to Mest, as though it was insulted. "I-need-drama-! Sleeping-is-not-dramatic-!"

Zraiko focused on Mest. "Mest, you heard Yuuta speaking to someone at four sharp, right? When did you see Kozaki? Before or after?"

Mest nodded. "It was after. At 4:15 I went to start scanning around the second floor of the library. I say at about 7:30 Monobotto dragged him from the observatory towards the dorms."

"You must've been really interested in the library if you spent so much time there." Riko held her hands together. "Did you find anything?"

"Well, I wanted to-" He began before suddenly being cut off.

"If it's not relevant to Yuuta's death, save it." Ingreis shook her head. "You've already given Kozaki an alibi, that's enough."

"D-Do I have an alibi, tambien?" Fraize asked, worriedly.

"I...think you might, along with Mei and Sayino." Kyohi felt his neck. "I mean...Mest saw Kozaki, so...I think you also would-"

"We can't leave it to speculation." Soro frowned. "So far, I say only Kozaki gets a pass _because he was seen unconscious_. Those three have to prove some other way that they aren't the killer."

I wanted to say something, something to justify their innocence.

...But my memories were blurry, they were useless…

Why can't I remember anything?

There's...gotta be some way to show that they also shouldn't be suspects.

Maybe I need to have some...thinking time...

Fraize, Mei, Sayino, and myself all have something in common.

 **We had to visit the observatory**.

I believe it is fair to think that we still are having these visits, since I am. If it's not true, guess I'll be damned…

Mest saw me last night being dragged by Monobotto. However…

 **He didn't see the other three.**

So I can't prove that they're not suspects based on that assumption, and there's nobody who saw them last night…

Maybe I can find evidence to show why they shouldn't be suspects.

Is there anything here that can at least prove that Yuuta did not think of going to see them last night?

...There is.

 **Yuuta's papers.**

If I read his papers, and he does not show a desire to ask them for help...I think this will be enough…

Though...should I speak up? Can I say something without being called an idiot?

"...I think that Fraize, Sayino, and Mei also should not be suspects." I slowly picked up the truth bullet for Yuuta's papers. "Yuuta thought Fraize's Spanish would confuse him, that Sayino's strength wouldn't help, and that Mei hates him...and everyone."

"Tch…" Mei frowned.

"I think the papers prove he didn't think to ask them for help in the puzzle" I slowly put the bullet down.

"And how can you be sure he didn't change his mind later?" Soro tapped his head. "Ideas change."

Sighing, I looked away feeling shameful. "I...just wanted to help…"

"Thanks, Kozaki." Sayino gave me a smile. "I appreciate you trying to stick up for me and the others."

"Gracias, amigo." Fraize nodded.

"...Gracias, Daisuke." Mei looked away.

But...it wasn't enough for me. I...wanted to say something that would convince everyone. Not just try to make a few people happy...

"I believe we've done all we can purely discussion-wise." Ingreis nodded. "We have nothing left to just speculate on, right?"

"We...don't have anywhere left to turn." Riko sighed, holding her hands together. "It's...time to go over the hard evidence to get our suspects."

"Heh. No need."

We looked over to see Zraiko tapping the screen of his podium. "I think it's obvious who did it."

I then turned to see...a green ring circling around Tikari. She was clearly surprised, looking to Zraiko. "M-Me…?"

"Cut the act, Tikari." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "You are the one who killed Yuuta."

"I-I don't...eh?!" She seemed to be utterly confused, and terrified.

"Kozaki, tell us what Yuuta wrote about Tikari on those papers in his room." Zraiko glared at me. "I guarantee you I'm right. He asked Tikari to come with him, didn't he?"

All the eyes in the room were fixed on me. "I…"

"Daisuke, do as Nikiroi asks. Just read us the damn paper, por favor." Mei sighed, shaking her head.

I froze, hands beginning to shake as I held the paper. They were...asking me to give evidence that would incriminate someone...that would help to find the blackened. That would...get them executed.

I...I couldn't do it. I wouldn't even mind if the blackened stayed among us, believing deep down that the killing had to have been an accident.

There's no way I'm going to get someone killed…not for the entertainment of a damn robot at that...

There's gotta be a mistake somewhere. Something we missed...I refuse to believe...I...

"N...No…" I slowly shook my head.

"...What do you mean, no?!" Zraiko frowned at me, clearly angered. "Are you trying to get us killed?! I swear all you have to do is read the paper and we can stop this song and dance!"

Frowning, I reached for the glove on my hand. "I'm done here. We're all just pawns to a game orchestrated by a robot that laughs at us, trying to get us to entertain it. I'm not going to play along any longer."

"Taking-off-the-glove-means-you-forfeit-the-trial." Monobotto leaned in on its seat. It seemed to be...worried about what I was doing. "Forfeit-is-considered-abstaining. You-will-be-punished."

"I don't give a damn!" I grabbed at my hand. "I'd rather die than be subjected to whatever experiments you're doing on me while I sleep, I'd rather die than watch others kill each other!"

My gloved hand was suddenly grabbed and pulled up into the air, out of the reach of my other. I looked over to see Ingreis, frowning at me. "...Get it together, Kozaki. Yes, you have every right to be upset. Yes, none of us are happy about this. We're all under high stress here. But...you can't just throw in the towel."

I looked to the side, shaking. "...Are you saying we should just keep playing this damned game?"

"No, I absolutely hate this as well. But playing this sick game is the only way we're going to survive right now." Ingreis slowly loosened her grip, looking at me in the eyes. "Didn't you promise Yuuta his death wouldn't be in vain? What would that mean if you just gave up, huh?"

Slowly pulling my hand away, I closed my eyes. "...I...I get it…"

"It's okay if you're too stressed to participate in the trial." Riko spoke up, trying to be reassuring. "You can put your trust in us, Kozaki."

Shaking my head, I sighed. "No...I'll participate...I made a promise, after all. After this...we'll find help...we'll get out of here…"

There was a short pause, the silence disturbed by Monobotto. "Okay-that-is-great-and-all. However-you-fools-are-still-being-very-foolish. Please-go-back-to-the-exciting-accusations-and-hurry-it-up. I-have-been-itching-all-night-for-some-actual-gut-wrenching-moments."

"...You don't have a gut." Kyohi raised an eyebrow.

"That-is-not-literal-you-fool." Monobotto motioned back over to Zraiko. "Please-continue-with-your-accusation."

Zraiko sighed, adjusted his glasses, and looked over to me. "...Sorry, Kozaki. I must've put you on the spot and under too much stress, more than you already were. I can see you don't want to believe one of us killed someone, but...truly...I want us to survive."

"U-Umm...excuse me…" Tikari slowly raised her hand. "I-I would like to assert that I am not the killer, please!"

I sighed and brought out Yuuta's list. "I'll read the list, but...please don't make me accuse someone here of...murder…"

"Alright." Zraiko nodded, looking to me with patience. "You can defend them if you feel more comfortable doing so. After all, a fair trial needs both a prosecutor and defense attorney."

I read out each and every student note from Yuuta for everyone to hear, and Tikari's...it looked as though he certainly would've asked her. There are quite a few people he could've asked, actually…

"If you think it's too soon to single out someone…" Zraiko looked to the side, sighing. "We'll just let all the evidence show us where to look."

"I'm not guilty juste parce que I wear mascara!" Weise frowned and puffed his cheek. "It's tear proof, I'm telling you!"

"Calm down, Weise…" Tikari crossed her arms. "Be happy a green ring isn't circling you, eh?"

Suddenly, a light pinkish ring circled around Weise. He looked over to Kamiyaki, wide-eyed. "W-Why me?!"

"I-I was just doing what Zraiko said!" Kamiyaki gulped. "A-Anyone who was wearing mascara-"

"Personne ne sait what tear proof mascara is?!" Weise gave himself the saddest face-palm I've ever seen.

"W-Well, it's not just you!" Kamiyaki sighed and placed her suspicion counters on Tikari, Ingreis, and even herself. "We were all wearing mascara the day before. We're the most suspicious people, and Kozaki and the others saw us wearing it!"

Pouting, Weise placed suspicion counters on everyone wearing mascara, except himself. "It's tear proof."

Ingreis sighed and rolled her eyes. "So I guess that makes us four the hard suspects. I think it was Tikari as well. The paper doesn't lie."

Slowly, the amount of suspicion counters went up, surrounding Tikari. She looked to the side, quite terrified. "I...I really didn't do it, though!"

"So defend yourself." Soro motioned to her. "Tell us why you didn't do it."

"I was sleeping the whole time, I swear!" She took off her beanie and hugged it, tearfully. "But I know I can't prove it, I...I don't know what to say…"

"I...don't think it was Tikari." Riko looked to the side in thought. "She sounds sincere."

"But she's also wearing the same color of nail polish we found at the crime scene!" Weise clumsily picked up a truth bullet and waved it around. "See, the glossy red nail polish on the key! She was wearing it!"

So that was nail polish, huh…

Boy am I glad Weise went into the Puzzle Room during the second visit. His fashion instincts were surprisingly helpful to us.

"I swear, honestly!" Tikari looked to her fingertips. "I didn't do it!"

Kamiyaki gulped, feeling the scrunchies on her hands. "B-But we have to discuss it. That way we can prove it wasn't you. So…cheer up, okay?"

"Cheer up? You're accusing her of murder." Soro frowned. "There's nothing cheerful about it."

"W-Well...coach said that in the hardest of times, we have to show our biggest smiles." Kamiyaki continued to fidget with her scrunchies. "I'm just trying to be reassuring…"

A large split was cracked between us all. Half of us insisted she was the blackened, the other half looking to defend her.

"Are-you-fools-done-being-foolish-?" Monobotto spun around excitedly. "You-fools-are-split-down-the-middle. I-have-just-the-solution."

We all looked over to Monobotto, anxiously.

"It-is-time-for-a-scrum-debate-!" It hopped up and down, pressing a button. "To-argue-over-your-friend's-innocence-or-guilt-!"

"S...scrum...what now?" Sayino blinked. "What are we-"

Suddenly the podiums began to move around. We each grabbed on, Kyohi almost fell over. They were lined up, facing one another. On my side were me, Riko, Kyohi, Fraize, Anne, Tikari, Neizami, and Mest. On the other side were Zraiko, Ingreis, Kamiyaki, Weise, Soro, Sayino, and Mei.

 **Is Tikari the culprit?**

 **Yes -**

 **\- No**

 **Debate scrum, start!**

* * *

Perhaps, if only for another moment, I could have seen him. I miss him, dearly. If it weren't for him, I may never have found my 'self.' I may never have learned to be honest with who I was. He wanted me to know what dreams were actually my own, and not dreams that were wishes I had for better things. With my family not having much money, barely scraping by day-to-day on checks and tips, my childhood naivete pushed me to wish to be a lawyer.

I was never interested in studying law. It was not of my interest to defend or prosecute, not even to judge. All I knew was that there was a great promise of wealth in that career, a great promise that my family could be well off. To my youthful eyes, it wasn't a dream I wanted. It was a dream I felt I needed. It was tiring to see how hard my parents worked, doing what they loved without getting payoff for their sweat. They told me that I should never worry for them, that they should never burden me.

But I wanted that dream, I wanted to get that promised money. All I wanted...was for my parents to not be so worried about finance anymore. I wanted my mother to be able to buy herself a new dress, and for my father to buy himself a new fishing rod. Enough money for nice things, or even just something that wasn't used by another before us. Our television was old, out of date. We were living on food stamps, saving up for the rare event that something our pennies could buy that was earned on our own. I told myself, 'If I became a lawyer, Mom and Dad won't have to worry so much anymore.'

My best friend, he knew me better than anyone. He knew I was willing to give up my own future just for the sake of making my family happy. He challenged me, telling me I was chasing a dream that wasn't even mine. I finally decided to listen to him, and chase after my own dream.

...Don't worry, Mikanne. When I get out of here, I'm going to become an adventurer like I promised.

* * *

~Chapter One, Class Trial Part One, End~


	7. Labyrinth of my Absolution Trial 2

"Kozaki, where have you been all day?" My mother asked me, worriedly.

I slowly walked inside the house and closed the door behind me, pulling off my hood, not being able to say a word. I laid my flamethrower against the wall and looked over to see my pet dog brush by my leg. Shiro now besides me, he shook his fur and splashed water all over the room.

"Take that off, sweety. Your hoodie is absolutely drenched!" My mother brushed my soaked hair with her right hand. "Come on then, where have you been? You were supposed to see Mrs. Loric today."

I silently took off my hoodie with a sigh, walking slowly over to one of the chairs by the fireplace.

"Kozaki?" My mother slowly walked over behind me, worried to not disturb my boundaries...but still showing her parental worries as well. "Please...what have you been doing today?"

"I...I went to go see...the ruins, Mom…" I looked over to Shiro. "...But Shiro didn't want to come with me. He ran away when we got near, and I had to chase him around town…"

My mother knelt over, feeling my forehead. "...Kozaki, you have a fever. Were you out in the rain all day?"

Sighing, I nodded. "I...wanted to see the ruins, Mom. Just like I said."

My mother gently took my hand and walked me to the upstairs bathroom. "You need a hot bath right now, okay?"

"...Okay…" I sighed.

My mother turned on the faucet and started to fill the tub with hot water. Slowly, I undressed myself, watching as the tub was filling up. My mother touched the water by her fingertips and looked over to me, confirming it was the temperature of my liking. I climbed into the tub.

"We still haven't bought more shampoo…" My mother sighed, reaching over to the empty bottle. "Don't worry, my sister shower me a trick once."

I watched silently as my mother filled the bottle with water and closed the cap firmly. She began to shake the bottle for a good two minutes before placing it at the corner of the tub.

"Here. This will get the shampoo that was stuck in the bottle to come out. It should last long enough for us to buy you more shampoo, okay?" My mother squirted the bottle directly onto my hair. "Sure it's more like soapy water, but it will still clean you."

My mother began to scrub my hair. I closed my eyes for a while, sighing. "...Mom?"

"Yes, Kozaki?" My mother looked to my face.

"I'm gonna be thirteen in about six months…" I looked over to her. "I can go work somewhere and get money, right?"

My mother sighed. "It might be hard, since everyone in town knows you burned a house down…"

We looked over to the door of the bathroom as the house doorbell rang. My mother stood up, it seems that my father left the keys in the house again.

"I'll go get the door, okay?" She smiled, leaving the bathroom.

Now alone, I took time to immerse myself with the heat of the water.

...It was starting to cool down, but I didn't mind.

I took it upon myself to wash up, scrubbing my hair and body, submerging in the water every now and again to get the bubbles off.

My mother came back to see the tub already drained and a towel wrapped around my body. She walked me to my bedroom; I took a seat on my bed.

"Go on and dry yourself, okay? I'll get you your pajamas fresh from the dryer." My mother nodded to me as she left my room.

Wiping the towel across my face, I sighed as I looked out the window.

...Will I never be able to get a job?

...Then...how will I earn money to help my family?

Mikanne was probably earning money right now. He was seven months older than me, after all...

"Mik...is it raining in Japan, too…?" I whispered, softly.

My mother slowly walked back into my bedroom and helped me to dress in my ducky pajamas.

Tucking me into bed, my mother kissed my forehead tenderly, then handing me my teddy bear. "Kiko here will keep you good company while you get healthy, okay? Your father is home from shopping. We'll make you some macaroni and cheese for dinner. Okay, sweety?"

Snuggling my teddy bear, I silently nodded.

"...It's been a whole year since Mikanne moved away...if you're feeling sad, please talk to us. Okay?" My mother patted my head gently.

Closing my eyes, I gave Kiko a squeeze.

"...I'll fix you some hot tea. Don't go outside your room, okay? We'll take care of you while you're under the weather." My mother slowly walked to the door of my room. "I'll also raise the temperature here. I'll...just lower the temp in the rest of the house…"

"But...won't you get cold?" I asked my mother, looking towards her. "Mom...please don't get cold…"

"It's alright, Kozaki." My mother gave me a warm smile. "You're the one who shouldn't get cold. I'll put on my coat if I get the shivers, okay.?"

"...Okay Mom…" I sighed.

"We'll go get started on your macaroni and cheese now." My mother blew me a kiss and left my bedroom, leaving me to think about Mikanne...and the mac and cheese.

* * *

"W...What the hell is going on?!" Soro turned to Monobotto, wide-eyed. "Why are we s-s-so high off the ground?!"

Weise was pale. He knelt down and whimpered, holding his head in his hands. "I-I-I wanna go down, please...C-C-C'est is trop haut off the ground!"

Kyohi gripped the railing of podium, he seemed to be very nauseous. "W...Woah…"

Everyone seemed to be quite discomforted...except myself.

I was used to being this high in the air, if not even higher. After all...I loved to climb trees all the time.

…

Just that...there's usually a nice, fresh breeze...you could hear birds chirping…

...The only 'chirping' here right now were the terrified sounds of the others…

Riko wobbled, it seemed as though she would faint. Quickly, I reached over to take her by the hand. "Hold on, Riko. I got you."

The clarinetist looked over to me, smiling lightly. "Hehe…my hero."

Smiling lightly as well, I nodded. "Don't mention it."

Kamiyaki slowly raised her hand. "U-U-Umm...why are we floating so high off the ground, anyways?"

"I'd like to know as well." Neizami uncomfortably tapped her fingertips together.

We all looked around with discomfort until Monobotto fumed at us.

"Why-are-you-fools-not-debating-?" It beeped. "Absolute-fools-! Scrum-debate-already-! You-bore-me-so-!"

Anne felt at her apron, timidly looking to the mechanical mayhem. "U-Umm...w-what do you mean by...s-scrum debate?"

Monobotto's head spun around rapidly, perhaps expressing its frustration at us. "Foolish-fools-you-all-are. You-have-to-debate-whether-or-not-Tikari-is-the-culprit-!"

"She is the culprit. There. Put us down now!" Soro gripped at his cap.

"Don't-tell-me." Monobotto rolled its head once, as if it were rolling a pair of eyes. "Tell-the-other-half-of-the-debate."

We all looked at eachother, across the chasm. Nobody knew where to start or what to say.

...Well...I knew I wanted to prove Tikari was innocent...o-or at the very least should not be singled out this way.

The four suspects we are certain of are…

Tikari, Ingreis, Weise, and Kamiyaki.

...But...I don't want to suspect any of them…

...I'm scared to find...what we will end up discovering soon...

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Hmm…I suppose we take turns expressing our thoughts."

"Absolute-fools. If-only-we-didn't-erase-your-memories-about-how-the-program-goes. Would've-made-things-easier." Monobotto mused.

Wh...what…?

Erase...what memories?

We all turned to the soccer ball of bolts, with...mixed emotions, to say the least.

I...I thought my memory problem was just being unable to remember anything about the observatory…

But...if...if Monobotto can erase any of my memories…

I looked over as I felt Riko squeeze my hand. Her lip was quivering, it seems that she, too, was sharing the same worries. However…

"Let's...ignore that 'bucket of bolts' for now." Riko nodded. "Come on, we have to fight for Tikari."

I chuckled, seeing that Riko had picked up on my special nickname for our resident mechanical terrorizer. "Alright...let's do it."

Zraiko nodded. "When you're ready."

"I've got it." I nodded, firmly. "You first."

"Alright then." The hacker pushed his glasses up his nose thoughtfully. "Tikari's statements about last night sound too uneventful. I'm certain she's hiding something from us."

Tikari took off her beanie and held it. "I know it sounds very plain, but I honestly did go get a snack! Anne saw me!"

Soro felt at his cap, raising an eyebrow. "Can we really believe you just from that?"

Quickly stepping in, Anne shook her head. "But it's true. I did see Tikari last night! She even asked me where to find some snacks in the fridge."

"She could've just been lying about it, though. She might've gone into the kitchen to find a lighter for the puzzle." Ingreis tapped on her forehead.

Riko held her hands together. "While that is true, that was not the only opportunity someone could've taken a lighter from the kitchen. Maybe Yuuta got the lighter himself while walking around."

"Hermana, I don't suppose you wish to leave it to speculation instead of having hard evidence?" Mei crossed her arms.

"Pero, the evidence you have no poder single out Tikari." Fraize felt the side of his face.

Sayino felt at her chin in thought. "But we can't just accept that it 'could have been' this person or some other person. If Tikari got the lighter, it would prove Yuuta asked her to come."

"But if it really was Yuuta who got the lighter, then Tikari is only as suspicious as the other three who were wearing mascara that night." Neizami tapped her fingertips together.

"C'est le mascara _and_ the nail polish that match up. Tikari checks out for both, non?" Weise puffed his cheek in thought.

"But...there are three other people who were wearing mascara and nail polish." Mest felt at his left wrist.

"That's true, but...Yuuta's papers said her talent would be really helpful." Kamiyaki felt at her scrunchies.

Kyohi felt behind his neck. "It did, but...What if he changed his mind later? You know, decide that he didn't want to ask Tikari in the end?"

"Fair point, all things considered." The hacker nodded. "But I believe it is still credible."

I nervously stepped in, offering a response. "Yuuta's diary had positive thoughts about others as well. The evidence matches up for multiple people, not just Tikari. That's why we can't single her out like this."

Our voices joined in unison, as if we were in perfect sync. " _ **We can't say for certain that Tikari is the culprit. This is our answer!"**_

A short silence. We all turned to see Monobotto rolling back and forth in its chair, seemingly intrigued by our... _display_ …

"Wow. That-is-the-least-foolish-thing-you-fools-have-done-today." It beeped. "Alright-then. Going-down…"

The podiums were all lowered to the ground, reconnecting with the glass ring. Seems that the ring somehow was able to float in the air by itself…

…

Honestly...what kind of prison is this? Filled with all this technology...did nobody notice anything suspicious while these...these cultists put it together?

How...how much money did all this cost?

How...much money…is this that my family doesn't have…?

…

...What kind of people...put this all together?

"So then…"

We looked over to Mei, who was tapping against her podium.

"Ahora is a good time to bring up los resultados de the investigation of the Mono-shift Room." The vigilante crossed her arms.

"Ah, that's right!" I nodded. "I asked you and Riko to look there. Did you find anything?"

Riko nodded. "Yeah, we looked at all the makeup that was used. We found four open bottles of mascara…"

Weise leaned in, as though he was expecting something to be said.

"...One of them was tear proof." Riko sighed. "There were also some open bottles of nail polish."

"Rojo y azul." Mei nodded. "Red and blue polish."

"Hmm...how about we see the color of your nails?" Kyohi asked.

"Good thinking, Kyohi." Mest nodded. "All four of you, please show us your nails now."

Tikari, Weise, Ingreis, and Kamiyaki all showed us their hands. The girls all had red nails, while Weise's nails were blue.

"I say officially we can rule out Weise, then. The nails are too damn smooth to look like he painted over any red polish to hide anything." Soro shrugged. "Plus...otherwise he won't let us hear the end of how his mascara is tear proof."

Weise puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms. "...Parce que, it's true…"

So then...one suspect eliminated. Good for him, really.

...What now?

I looked into Yuuta's diary once more. There was no indication that he went to get the lighter from the kitchen. That meant either he got the lighter after finishing writing, or...someone got the lighter for him.

...So then...what can we make of this?

"Let's clear out these suspicion counters for now." Mest looked around. "They seem to be too...congested."

One by one, the others slowly cleared out their suspicion counters, they were a bit distracting anyways...

"...U-Umm, guys…"

We looked over to Tikari, who was feeling at her beanie. It seems that removing the counters gave her the courage to say something.

"I'm...sorry for not being completely honest." She sighed. "...The thing is...Yuuta did ask me to come with him to the puzzle room."

* * *

"How much of that show did you watch, Kozaki?" My father asked, pacing around the room.

I sat down on my bed, cuddling my teddy bear. I didn't respond.

"Did you know it was real? Did you know these people were real?" My father looked over to me.

Slowly, I shook my head.

"...When did you start watching it? Why?" He asked, now sitting down in a chair.

I looked to the side. "...I watched it with Mikanne before he left. Those college kids...they were talking about the show. We...wanted to know what it was…"

My father sighed and shook his head, slowly. "...Do you know why we didn't want you to watch that show?"

"...I didn't know, Dad." I looked down. "I...I didn't know they were really dying…"

My father slowly stood up and sat besides me on the bed. "...I should've known you would've found out eventually."

"...Because Uncle Haiji sold _Danganronpa_ , right?" I looked over to my father.

"He didn't just sell it, son. He helped make it." My father hugged me under his shoulder. "...I sent him away because I didn't want you to see it."

"...I'm sorry, Dad…" I closed my eyes.

"You do know...that show is illegal now." My father stroked my hair, gently. "After what that Saihara did, the government got the public momentum to officially shut the program down. There will be no more _Danganronpa_."

I sat in silence for a while, thinking. "...Dad...what happened?"

My father looked over to me.

"To Saihara and his friends? Did they...did they make it out?" I closed my eyes. "Did they...all get killed?"

"...Nobody knows, son." My father sighed, stroking my head gently. "I...I truly hope they made it out somehow…"

I hugged my father tearfully. "You...you sent Uncle Haiji away because...he wanted me to...to be on that show. That's...that's why, isn't it?"

Instead of responding, my father pulled me in closer.

* * *

"...What did you say?" Anne asked, wide-eyed.

"It's true." Tikari sighed, looking away. "But in the end, I didn't go with him."

"Why didn't you just say so?" Zraiko frowned. "You make it much worse for yourself when you lie."

Tikari gulped. "It would've been just as bad, eh?"

"But now we can't trust you." Ingreis shook her head.

Looking down, Tikari sighed without a word.

"Tikari, when did you see Yuuta?" Riko asked.

The special educator felt at her head. "It was while I was on my way back to my room at 1:40. He was walking towards the kitchen, he was the one who got the lighter...or, I think so? I'm not completely sure, eh..."

"And so he asked you to come with him." Mest nodded. "But I sense you want to say...you declined."

Tikari nodded. "That's right. I told him I couldn't come because...I was too sleepy."

"Unfortunately, we don't have evidence to confirm this." Soro motioned over to me. "Especially because his diary doesn't mention anything else since he left his dorm room."

Sighing, I nodded. "That's right…"

"Hmm...tengo una idea." Fraize offered. "Es posible que there was evidence in the kitchen the following morning?"

Anne felt at her apron. "Well…I think so."

Kamiyaki nodded. "Oh yeah, there was some. There was a plate in the sink that had water in it."

"And there were scraps of fruit in the trash, too." Anne felt at her cheek. "I really believe Tikari is being honest."

Mei pressed her index finger against her forehead. "Pero, that doesn't prove if she did or didn't go with Yuuta into the Puzzle Room."

Some silence.

"You're right…" Tikari looked down. "Again...I can't prove it…"

…

Here we are, dead end after dead end. I was sure that there had to be something we were missing.

…

My eyes slowly widened when I realized...I could prove it.

I looked down to my right wrist.

...No...not now...

...Not yet...it's too soon.

I'll try to review the evidence. I don't want to bring it up now...I'll save it to make all the ends meet.

I need more thinking time…

Tikari, Ingreis, and Kamiyaki all have something in common.

 **The makeup they were wearing.**

So then...how can we find a way to distinguish between them?

…

While Tikari and Kamiyaki said they were out last night, Ingreis did not. But...she could just be lying…

Anyone could be lying, actually…

Because it happened overnight, it's a little hard to place hard evidence on anyone.

...How about the papers?

Even if people aren't sure it's credible, I'm sure Yuuta stuck to his plan.

So...what did he have to say…?

 **He had positive things to say about both Kamiyaki and Tikari.**

...I really don't think that Ingreis would have come with Yuuta anyways. She is an athlete, after all. Her scheduling is very important to her.

...But what if the others need more solid proof that Ingreis shouldn't be suspected?

Hmm...is there anything else that can prove she didn't come with him?

…

Ingreis is a perfectionist, and performs in competitions often. Knowing that, she would have remained calm and collected the whole time. If she had gone with Yuuta, which sounds improbable anyways…

 **She sure as hell would've stuck to the rules, no matter what.**

Following rules is extremely important to Ingreis. After all...athletes can get disqualified from competitions if they break them. She would've taken this critically.

...But that's still not _hard_ evidence. It's...all based on my cognition of her.

…

What if...instead of trying to prove Ingreis couldn't have committed the crime, I try to prove who could've?

I've...spent all this time trying to play the defensive route, but...the evidence isn't strong enough to defend someone.

...There...there is one piece of evidence that can...but...it's too soon...I don't want to bring it up now...I'll leave it for the end...

 **I don't have a choice, I have to...have to assert that someone is the killer. I need to take a closer look at the evidence. I need to build this up properly before...before I reveal the evidence that will damn the killer.**

Ingreis looked over to me, seeing how deep in thought I was. "...You're trying to eliminate more suspects, aren't you?"

Sighing, I nodded. "Yeah...but...Zraiko is right. I don't have the evidence to disprove someone is the killer." However, I was lying...I was...stalling...

Tikari sighed, looking away. "...So then...now what?"

I looked back to Yuuta's diary, gripping it lightly. "I'm going to look at the diary again. Riko, could you look at his list?"

"Sure, Kozaki." Riko reached over and picked up a truth bullet about Yuuta's list. "Let's see…"

Flipping through the pages of his diary with caution, I decided to carefully examine each and every page, wondering if anything helpful would turn up. "...One of these pages is torn out?"

The others looked over to me.

I flipped over the book to show what I've found. "Look. The next page after his final entry. I didn't even notice it was torn out because it was hidden by another blank page."

"...He skipped a page and wrote into a fresh one." Zraiko looked to the side in concentration. "Strange…"

"More importantly, why was it torn out?" Neizami asked, confusedly. "Did the killer do that?"

"Pero...it could have been Yuuta." Fraize nodded. "Es posible que...esta a list of instructions to give to his helper?"

"Good thinking, Fraize." I smiled, looking over to the tour guide. "It sounds plausible."

"Too bad we won't be able to tell what it says…" Kamiyaki sighed, looking away.

Soro began to grin, smugly. "Oh yes we can."

We turned to the cinematographer. Kamiyaki was surprised. "R-Really?"

Feeling at his cap, Soro nodded. "Yeah, like one of those detective movies. All we need is a pencil to brush the next page. It will reveal what was written on the page that was torn out."

"Oh, I see!" Kamiyaki felt at her scrunchies. "But...we don't have-"

"Je les ai!" Weise smiled, reaching into his inner fashion coat pockets. "Oui, I always carry my coloring pencils with me. Any color you like?"

Kamiyaki blinked. "O-Oh...well I suppose pink is a nice color."

Weise pulled out the pencil and handed it to Mest. The tattoo artist nodded, then handed it to Ingreis. She then handed it to me.

"Kozaki, make sure you don't press down on it too hard." Soro instructed me, frowning lightly. "Don't fuck this up."

"R-Right…" I gulped, feeling the pressure. Slowly, I grazed the pencil over the blank page. Letters began to show up.

"What does it say, Kozaki?" Sayino asked, interested. "Does it have someone damned?"

I silently handed the pencil to Ingreis to pass back to Weise. Sighing, I nodded. "...It does."

Everyone was wide-eyed. They all leaned in to hear what I had to say.

"..." I gulped, slowly nodding. "It says…'Go into the kitchen and get the lighter at 3:15. Wait in your shift room while I get ready. At 4:00, be with me at the Puzzle Room.'"

Riko seemed to realize it at the same time I did...perhaps she, too, noticed a certain someone's body language throughout the trial. "...That means…"

"Kozaki...who did it?" Kyohi asked, giving me his fullest attention.

I closed my eyes, my hands were shaking. It was clear now...she had to have been the one…

…No wonder why she was feeling her wrists so much this whole time...

I looked down to the screen of my podium.

 **Select a suspect.**

* * *

…

I stood there in silence, for probably the longest time.

The rain was starting to clear. It seems the sun would break through the clouds at any moment.

…

I don't know if I'm the only one who realized it. I don't know who else was thinking what I was…

But…

It seemed as though the world was waiting for _me_ to make the move.

...Why me?

It's the question that keeps coming back, every single time.

It's...always been me. Why am _I_ the one who has to say it?

Why am _I_ the one who has to...to call things out…?

...I'm too afraid...I can't do it…

...I think...everyone is too afraid.

Now that we're standing at the edge of dawn...now that our eyes are seeing the light of the truth…

We all want to close our eyes and look away.

…

I get it now...it has to be me.

Because…

...Nobody else will.

Because…

...They need to see someone brave enough to take those steps.

...Going to the elevator...I was the one who made the first move. I was the one who told them all to come with me.

...And now they're waiting for me to tell them once more...to walk forward with me...

* * *

" _ **It has to be you."**_

A single, coral ring began to surround Kamiyaki.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Kamiyaki." I looked over to the cheerleader, my voice beginning to shake. "Y...You...you're the only one…"

Kamiyaki didn't say anything in response.

"...Yuuta asked you to stay in your Shift Room until 4:00..." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Creating a window of time from getting the lighter to actually meeting in the Puzzle Room. Perhaps...to make sure nobody saw you rushing around at night."

Kamiyaki still didn't say anything.

"And what Yuuta said about you in his notes…" Riko sighed, looking down. "That you 'know a thing or two about cheering.'"

"You would've been a great person to tell him how to navigate the maze." Ingreis nodded. "Is it not the job of a leading cheerleader to have the others follow in perfect harmony?"

...She...she still wasn't saying anything…

"Kamiyaki...be honest, please…" I looked her in the eyes. "...It was you...wasn't it?"

She started to giggle, shaking her head. "No, silly~! I told you already."

"Wh...what do you mean?" I asked, perplexed.

"If I was up all night with Yuuta, I couldn't help Anne cook breakfast that morning." She motioned to Anne. "Because I would've been too tired to help, right?"

Anne sighed, looking away. "That's true. Kamiyaki was clumsy, but it didn't look like she was exhausted. She told me she's never cooked before."

I sighed, closing my eyes. I wanted to believe her...but…

...I knew deep down inside...she was lying. I don't know how she managed to cook after staying up all night...especially with a very emotionally tragic event unfolding in front of her.

But the fact is...she had to have been the one.

"Why do you say it has to be me? Because it mentions a Shift Room?" She smiled and shook her head. "I was already back in my room. I had to sleep, after all. Maybe Tikari went into the Shift Room instead."

"The fact is that Zraiko saw someone locked in their Shift Room." Soro felt at his cap. "But there's no way to prove who it was exactly. This is speculation."

"This whole trial is speculation, isn't it?" Sayino sighed, shaking her head.

Monobotto offered us a tip. "If-you-are-interested-in-the-records-of-the-Shift-Room…"

We looked over, wondering if that bucket of bolts was looking to help...or just toy with us.

"Shift-Room-One. At-one-the-room-was-occupied. It-was-vacated-at-two-thirty. It-was-then-used-at-two-forty-five. It-was-then-vacated-at-two-fifty-five. It-was-then-used-at-three-twenty. It-was-then-vacated-at-three-fifty-five."

I took a moment to mentally process the information. There were quite a few gaps of time. Supposedly...it seems Kamiyaki is insisting that at two-fifty she went back to her room. I knew she was lying, but… What was she doing in between two-fifty and three-twenty?

Forty minutes of time...maybe she did that to make it look like it wasn't her who used the room again.

Or maybe...something else?

"What was going on in between those gaps of time?" Kyohi asked. "...Forty minutes nobody was using the shift room?"

Kamiyaki shrugged. "Hmm, dunno. But I left the shift room at two-fifty."

"And you went right back to sleep?" Zraiko raised an eyebrow.

Kamiyaki blinked. "Well... **no, I didn't go straight back to sleep."**

I picked up _Kamiyaki's Account_ and shot it to her words. " _ **Hold on a minute!"**_

Kamiyaki turned to me. "W...What's the matter?"

Discomforted, I sighed. For every detail she was leaving out...the more I knew she was the culprit. "...Kamiyaki, you didn't mention this before either..."

Kamiyaki blinked, then looked to the side. "...I…saw Yuuta on the way back to my room."

"What was he doing?" Neizami asked.

"He...he was talking to Tikari!" Kamiyaki looked as though she was beginning to lose composure. "He asked her to go to the puzzle room with him!"

"But that was at 1:40." Tikari felt at her beanie.

"You're lying!" Kamiyaki pointed to her. "You can't prove it!"

The more Kamiyaki denied it...the more clear it was.

...I wanted to bring up the evidence, just to put an end to her suffering. But...that would be putting her to death faster, wouldn't it?

"Kamiyaki, you can't prove yourself either." Ingreis shook her head.

"I...I can! How could I have been awake to help cook breakfast if I stayed up all night, huh?!" She felt at her scrunchies, frowning.

...Her scrunchies...yes...she's hiding the evidence right under them...but I still...I'm still too afraid to call her out for it...

"Stop lying, Kamiyaki, please…" Kyohi looked down. "I...I don't want to believe you're the culprit, but...when you lie…"

Taking a deep breath, Kamiyaki looked down. "...You don't have solid proof it was me. Neither do you have solid proof it was Tikari either."

"...Maybe we can't prove it with just a single piece of evidence, but...I think everything will point to you." I looked down, knowing that I was lying about lacking a single piece of evidence. It's...hurting too much... "...I know it will."

"Perhaps-you-are-meaning-to-go-on-a-Truth-Bullet-Quick-Draw-?" Monobotto spun around, interested in...I wouldn't say helping me but...getting me to use whatever quirks to the trial we had yet to discover.

"What's that?" Kamiyaki looked over to Monobotto, worriedly.

The podiums began to move. This time...everyone was moved to the sides while my podium faced Kamiyaki's.

"This-is-a-more-psychological-tactic-to-use-in-trial. For-occasions-where-you-are-stuck-and-need-a-way-to-advance." Monobotto explained. "You-each-have-five-life-points. You-will-be-given-questions. You-have-to-answer-quicker-than-your-opponent-with-a-truth-bullet-that-could-match. If-you-mess-up-you-will-lose-points. You-lose-when-you-run-out-of-life-points."

I was allotted my life points and ten different truth bullets, perhaps the ones that were most relevant. I assume Kamiyaki was given her own as well…

"Now-let-us-begin." Monobotto launched the first holographic statement into the air.

 **What evidence has just introduced valuable information?**

...Even though some of us had doubts, I placed my faith into my choice.

I shot the bullet _Yuuta's Diary_ , Kamiyaki taking a point of damage.

 **Why was the page missing from the diary?**

Kamiyaki saw she had to pick up the pace, quickly shooting a bullet at me. _Diary Instructions._ I took a hit of damage.

 **What did the page reveal about the culprit?**

I had to be faster than her. There wasn't a second to waste. I picked up a truth bullet quickly. _Puzzle Room Planning._

 **What did the page cause to fall into question?**

 _Kamiyaki's Account._ I shot quickly, starting to get the hang of thinking fast.

 **What wasn't lining up about the account?**

 _Shift Room Times._ I shot that one considering Monobotto's new information. Her account isn't matching with the times we know the room was used.

 **What is something that needs to be reexamined?**

Something…something we looked at too quickly. All the shift room times that indicated movement were from later that night...but Yuuta had been spotted by someone going to the shift rooms beforehand...

 _Zraiko's Account._

I closed my eyes, firing the final truth bullet. " _ **Bullseye!"**_

Kamiyaki staggered as she ran out of life points. "W...What?"

The podiums were all moved back into order. I took a moment to collect my thoughts...and my theory. "The thing is, all night Yuuta had been wandering around. Not just when Soro and Kamiyaki saw him, but much earlier as well." I looked over to Zraiko. "Part of your account was that you saw Yuuta _before_ you went to your shift room. Kamiyaki and Soro saw him _afterwards_. _Much later in the night._ Why, then? Why was he wandering around _so much last night?_ He wasn't going to the kitchen to get the lighter, because his instructions asked the killer to get it. Even then, it shouldn't have taken that long."

"...Something is telling me you know what he was doing, Daisuke." Mei leaned in.

I nodded. "...Yes, I think I finally have an explanation."

"What was he doing?" Neizami asked, confused.

I nodded, thoughtfully. "This whole time, he had to have been looking for _me._ "

Some silence.

"What makes you say that?" Soro felt at his cap.

"Exactly what you said earlier about why I could've been suspicious. He and I went to the Puzzle Room together earlier." I looked down. "And his notes…"

Riko nodded. "That's right. His notes mentioned how Kozaki seemed interested in the puzzle."

"Logistically speaking, it would've made absolute sense for Yuuta to go to Kozaki _first._ " Zraiko nodded in agreement.

"I bet he started at my room, then walked all around the first floor. That's when he may have ran into Tikari and figured it was worth a try to ask her. When she declined, perhaps he walked through to the compass all the way to the auditorium, then backtracking through across the dorms into the opposite wing. He then might've gone up to the second floor, taking the wing staircase rather than the library one. Since Mest was on the first floor of the library, he wouldn't have seen Yuuta. Maybe Yuuta might've gone to the observatory, but couldn't go inside."

"What does this have to do with me, then?" Kamiyaki asked.

"When you left the Shift Room for the second time, you must've seen Yuuta on the second floor, on the way back from the library." I pointed to her. "That's when he asked you!"

Furiously, she felt at her scrunchies. "T-That's all speculation! You...you can't prove it!"

"...The proof est...umm...all over your face right now…" Weise gulped, nervously.

Kamiyaki continued to fidget with her scrunchies.

...I can't do this anymore. It hurts too much to keep flying around in this sea of speculation. Especially when the evidence was right there. I...I can't keep this going, I can't keep stalling for more time...the answer...is right there.

I'm not afraid anymore to say it.

"...Kamiyaki, take off the scrunchies that are around your wrists." I frowned.

She froze, growing pale. "I…"

"I didn't want to ask you to do it earlier…" I looked down. "...Because I was scared. I...I probably would've dismissed them for bug bites or little scrapes, but…"

Everyone looked over to me.

"...This is the evidence that will incriminate you." I sighed. "...And I knew...all I had to do was ask…"

Zraiko nodded. "I was going to ask straight away for everyone to show their wrists. I stopped when you said you wanted to wait and build up the sequence of events."

I looked down, ashamed. "...I wasted everyone's time with this stupid game because I was afraid to...to say the obvious. I was afraid to incriminate someone...I was afraid to see another person be killed. Truthfully...I thought I could buy us some time by ignoring it. Maybe find a way to sabotage the trial so that we could spare someone from being executed…"

Riko looked down. "...You knew that was the nail in the coffin...but...didn't have the heart to bring it up."

"...I'm done with trying to hide from the truth. This is where everything has lead me. Kamiyaki...take off your scrunchies." I closed my eyes. "Just...put an end to this, please…"

The cheerleader frowned and shook her head. "No."

"Please, Kamiyaki." I begged her. "Just stop this."

"It's obvious she won't do it herself." Mei frowned and glared to her.

Fraize looked over to Kamiyaki, trying to plead to her. "Por favor, Kamiyaki...tell us el verdad, the truth."

But she shook her head. "No, it...it wasn't me!"

Soro reached over to her right wrist and swiftly pulled the scrunchie clear off. "There! That damn mark is there on her wrist!"

Kamiyaki grabbed her wrist, covering the wound. "That's not...that's not from the bracelet! I didn't…!"

...She still was in denial…

...I had to break through to her, to show her she couldn't lie to us anymore.

"Kamiyaki, I hope you'll tell us the truth!" I pointed to her. " **I'll break through your lies until you admit it!"**

Frantically, she shook her head. "I...I couldn't have killed Yuuta! I was in the kitchen with Anne this morning, I was awake just fine! There's no way I did it, that...that can't be right! I slept just fine!"

I shook my head. "Frankly said, I don't know how you even managed to keep your eyes open. However, the fact of the matter may just be you were helping Anne fix breakfast out of guilt! Not to mention...the makeup evidence matches with you as well!"

"Just...just because of that...you're accusing me? I'm not the only one who wears...wears makeup or nail polish here! Tikari fits the description! She...she could've done it!" She shot back.

"While it is _supporting_ evidence, we proved that's not enough to incriminate anyone!" I frowned "And the scar on you wrist proves you were in the puzzle!"

She began to break down...she was becoming desperate…

"It was the puzzle that killed him...I swear! I...I never wanted this! I never...never ever had any ill will to Yuuta!" Kamiyaki began to tear up. "I wanted to help him!"

...It was starting to really punch me in the heart. She was finally admitting it…

"But your help is what got him killed." I looked down.

"We...we were doing this together!" Kamiyaki cried. "Why would I have been the cause of his death?!"

My confidence wavered. Here I was...about to end this. About to finally end this hopeless struggle.

...But…

…

No. I can't fall back. I...I have to end this.

…

I'm sorry, Kamiyaki.

" _ **I won't look away!"**_

Taking in a deep breath, I finished it. "Because...you were breaking the puzzle rules."

There was a silence, probably...the coldest of all. The only thing we could hear...was Kamiyaki's sobbing…

"...Damn...I...I never would've thought…" Sayino looked down, shaking her head.

Tikari squeezed her beanie, silently. It seems that she was greatly hurt by this.

After all...perhaps they really bonded together in the Mono-shift Room.

Weise reached into his coat pocket to offer Kamiyaki some tissues, but...she hid her face in her arms, shutting him and all of us out.

Mei sighed and shook her head. Meanwhile Zraiko took off his glasses and felt at his forehead. There was a complete atmosphere of unease.

...Maybe we needed something to emotionally convince us...this was the end of the road...

"...Kamiyaki, I'm going to go through the case so that we know everything that happened, okay?" I sighed. "Please...when I'm done...admit the truth…"

She nodded, unable to give me any words.

Closing my eyes, I began to piece the entire puzzle.

" _ **This is how it all fits together!"**_

 **\- ACT 1 -**

"Last night, Anne and Yuuta met in the kitchen after dinner to clean up. This was where Anne revealed she had discovered the clue to the puzzle from the library. Although Yuuta promised not to attempt the puzzle...clearly this wasn't how the events unraveled. He started to plan out who he should invite with him to go to the Puzzle Room."

 **\- ACT 2 -**

"Remembering earlier that day, Yuuta thought to come look for me to solve the puzzle. Needless to say, he couldn't find me. This was because I had that...appointment with Monobotto. While wandering around, he ran into Tikari. This was where he invited her to join him, to which she declined. Thus...he continued to walk around, being sighted by several others."

 **\- ACT 3 -**

"While looking around on the second floor, Yuuta met with the killer. This is where he figured to ask the killer to join him. And...well...the killer accepted. The killer went to get the lighter, and waited a while before returning to the shift room of their talent. The killer then met Yuuta by the Puzzle Room entrance at 4:00, just as instructed. They went inside the Puzzle Room. With the killer reading the instructions out to Yuuta, he was lead straight to the fire segment. However...this was where he began to struggle."

 **\- ACT 4 -**

"In the fire segment of the puzzle, Yuuta must've begun to panic. Perhaps he was fearful he would run out of time...he may have froze, unable to figure out the puzzle. The killer had a force of habit - given the killer's talent - and tried to help Yuuta. However...this was the biggest mistake. Helping Yuuta broke Code 3...and so...he was poisoned…"

 **\- ACT 5 -**

"The killer must've been in emotional shock, given the circumstances. Although the intention was to help Yuuta...he was killed. The killer decided to take it upon themselves to finish the puzzle using the time Yuuta had remaining. Finishing successfully, the killer burnt the rope holding the key...but something interesting happened. The killer decided to leave the key with Yuuta, and hid his body in the room with the message, 'I'm so sorry.'"

 **\- ACT 6 -**

"The following morning, I was completely unaware of Yuuta's attempt at the puzzle. I had been planning to go on my own time, and brought along three people to watch over me. Riko, Fraize, and Neizami. Little did I know, the killer had been cooking with Anne...perhaps to atone. Maybe...the killer might've considered to tell Anne the truth. In any case, I went into the Puzzle Room to find that it was set to a different orientation than I remembered. This was because the puzzle is reset after each attempt...and there is apparently no limit to how many times the same puzzle can be completed before a completely new puzzle is introduced. Well...I completed the puzzle, went to collect the promised prize and...we found Yuuta, dead."

" **The one who is responsible for Yuuta's death...it's you. Kamiyaki Raiyne, the Super-Highschool-Level Cheerleader!"**

….I'm...I'm sorry, Kamiyaki. I'm...I'm so sorry…

"Now-that-you-have-finally-reached-the-conclusion-of-this-trial…" Monobotto spun around once. "It-is-now-voting-time. Please-cast-your-votes-for-the-blackened. If-you-abstain-you-are-probably-the-biggest-fool-out-of-the-entire-history-of-the-biggest-fools."

I was prompted by my podium to cast a vote. Hand shaking, I sighed and made my selection.

The votes were tallied on the screen. It was unanimous…

Even Kamiyaki voted for herself.

 **CLASS TRIAL, END.**

* * *

Well...here we are now.

I...I did it.

...And now...now what?

The truth is up there, in the air. Everyone can see it, clear as day.

...I'm sorry, so sorry…

I didn't want to believe it...

…

I'm starting to feel...dread…

...I know what's coming next.

…

Execution…

It's...it's my fault…

I should've gone into the puzzle before Yuuta...and he wouldn't have died. And...none of this would've happened…

…

Where...where do we go from here?

Are we really...going to have to accept this as the truth?

Are...are we really...going to let Kamiyaki...be executed…?

...Why is this so familiar?

This pain...just...amplified a million times over.

…

Monobotto mentioned erasing memories…

…

I...I finally...know where we are. I...I finally realize...what we're doing.

…

This is...this is that sick drug. This is…that sick show that had the world hooked on.

…

No way…

This is...this is really...

* * *

The trial was over...and Kamiyaki was still sobbing.

"Kamiyaki...is that why you were so afraid earlier today?" I asked her. "Afraid you wouldn't see your sister again?"

She nodded, sniffling. "Yes...I...I wanted to tell Anne that morning at breakfast. I wanted to tell you all...but…"

She looked over...to Monobotto.

"Damn it…" Soro frowned. "Monobotto didn't let you tell us."

She nodded again. "Y-Yes...it said it would kill me on the spot if I did. It told me I had to...to follow the script…"

"...Follow the script?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses.

...Yes...this...this is...this is all…

I felt at my head, the memory pounding against the wall of my conscience.

I...I know what this is.

"I-sure-did-say-so-you-fool." Monobotto beeped. "You-have-to-stick-with-the-program. Otherwise-all-this-would-have-been-such-a-waste-!"

"A waste…?" Tikari asked, holding her beanie. "Eh…? What would be a waste?"

"All-this-money-you-fools-!" Monobotto fumed.

"...Sounds like you wasted that money anyways." Sayino frowned. "Using it to set up this little 'sick show' and all. Why would you ever do that?"

...Sick show…

...Yes...yes...that's...that's it…

"...It's…"

The others looked over to me.

"... _D...Dangan-_ "

I was suddenly tackled by Monobotto, smacking my head into the ground. All the memories I had just barely grazed with my fingertips were instantly shattered on impact.

"Kozaki!" Riko ran over to aid me, but was pushed away by a set of arms.

Monobotto's body...was...spilling out arms…

"Kozaki-Daisuke. It-seems-as-though-you-are-much-more-problematic-than-anticipated." Monobotto beeped, soullessly. "You-should-do-me-a-favor-and-finally-install-Zepto-properly. Got-it-?"

"Get off him."

I looked over to see...Mest…?

"Violence-against-me-" Monobotto began.

However...Mest did not pay any mind. "Violence against students. You just attacked Kozaki. I don't suppose you'll punish yourself now, will you?"

He wrestled through the arms and grabbed onto me, pulling me out of its grasp. Monobotto...did not fight back.

...Mest...how did he…

...He must have a lot of courage hidden somewhere within all his silence.

"Mest...thank you…" I let off a sigh of relief.

"...Say it, Kozaki." He whispered to me. " _Dangan...Dangan_ what?"

I felt at my head. "I'm...I'm sorry...I...I lost it…"

"What Kozaki means to say is...this is some kind of…" Soro frowned. "Some kind of...a...a program with a name? Like…like a series of some kind? Follow the script...this...is this some kind of television program?"

"Oh-nuts-and-bolts. I-am-really-in-for-it-now." Monobotto spun around. "You-were-not-supposed-to-know-that."

"A television show called _Dangan_ , vos dites?" Weise frowned. "Hmph, I'm blocking the channel when I get home."

"...Do you not realize it?" Soro looked around the room. "...People...there's people _watching us. Right now…_ "

There was an anxious silence swept across the room.

"...That just means people know what's happening right now." Riko nodded, trying to prevent us from absolutely going insane. "And...and they will come find us!"

Fraize looked to the side, wanting to believe her. "If...you say so, amiga…"

Kamiyaki was still sobbing quietly to herself. Slowly, I walked over. "K...Kamiyaki…"

She looked me in the eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry, Kozaki…"

Though I'm terrible with people...silently, I gave her a hug. "...I'm sorry, Kamiyaki…"

"Monobotto said if you didn't guess right, I could go home...I...I wanted to go home, but...I...I didn't even realize...you all would've died, too…" She sniffled. "And now...I'm...I'm going to…"

"Don't...don't say that, please…" I tried to comfort her...knowing I was unable to.

Slowly, all the others walked over to comfort her.

"...Lo siento, Raiyne." Mei sighed, looking to the side. "I must've really made it worse when I said el traidor fue un monstruo…"

"You're right, Mei...I am a monster…" Kamiyaki sniffled. "I...I lied about _killing Yuuta_...how much more disgraceful could I be…?"

Mei didn't respond...she seemed to feel guilty.

"How did you manage to stay awake, Kamiyaki?" Kyohi asked.

"Seems she is used to pulling all-nighters." Ingreis nodded. "Something that many athletes would have experienced at least once."

The cheerleader nodded. "Yes... I'm used to it…"

"And when you left the Shift Room for the second time…" Riko held her hands together. "...you were originally going back to your room, but...that was when you found Yuuta, right?"

Kamiyaki nodded again. "...He was knocking on Kozaki's door. I asked him what he was doing, and well...one thing lead to another…"

Neizami tapped her fingertips together. "And you left the key because…"

"...Yes, I...I just couldn't take it." Kamiyaki tearfully shook her head. "I...I felt too awful, too guilty...I killed him...so I...left the key with him…"

"...Kamiyaki…" Tikari looked down. "I...I thought we bonded, that...we became friends. But you...were willing to throw me under the bus…"

Kamiyaki looked down. "I'm...I'm sorry, Tikari...I don't expect you to forgive me…"

Tikari took off her beanie and held it. "...I…"

"This-is-very-good-drama." Monobotto rolled around. "Gives-us-those-ratings."

"Nobody gives two shits about your ratings." Soro frowned. "Can you fuck off, please?"

"Oui. Please, laissez-nous être, and...don't come back!" Weise pointed at Monobotto, although...his hand was shaking.

"Ha-ha-ha. No. I-cannot." Monobotto rolled back and forth now. "I-have-an-execution-to-carry-out."

I looked over to Monobotto, wide-eyed. "...Y...You sick fuck…"

"It's-tradition-after-all." Monobotto beeped. "Please-wrap-this-up."

I wanted to kick the head right off that piece of trash. Though...I guess I would be shot on the spot if I did...

"...It's okay, guys…" Kamiyaki whispered. "...I deserve to die...after...after I…"

"No es verdad!" Fraize tried to comfort her. "No...nobody deserves…"

Kamiyaki slowly walked over to the podiums to pick up the scrunchie Soro had pulled off her wrist. She also picked up the key and walked back over to me. "...Kozaki...when I'm gone…" She handed me the key. "Please...get out of here...and…" She handed me both of her scrunchies. "G...Give these...to my sister, Eina…" She was still crying...but seemed to be...accepting her fate…

Silently, I held the key and scrunchies. "I...I understand…"

"Bury me next to Yuuta...you'll do that, w...won't you?" She smiled, sadly.

"K...Ka...Kamiyaki…" My voice began to shake.

"And make sure you get out of here, alright!?" She pumped up a fist, wiping away her tears. "I'm...I'm cheering for you all!"

"Kamiyaki, please…" I tried to say something, but...I...I couldn't…

We all stood in silence, trying to give our cheerleader comfort.

"It-seems-that-there-is-nothing-left-to-say." Monobotto rolled towards us. "It's-now-punishment-time."

Kamiyaki looked down. "I...I understand…"

"Let-us-do-it-then." Monobotto sprouted an arm to smack a gavel into the button besides its throne.

 **GAME OVER.**

 **Kamiyaki Raiyne has been found guilty.**

 **Commencing the punishment...**

* * *

Like some kind of...madness took control…

Kamiyaki was grabbed by the neck and pulled through a set of metallic doors, them shutting behind her.

I...I thought it was the end of it...but…

Of course...it wasn't…

I was suddenly grabbed around the waist, along with the others. A different set of doors opened and dragged us out of the trial room. Waves of darkness and light flashed in my eyes as I started to fly faster and faster…

It stopped. I found myself sitting in a front-row-seat of the auditorium, strapped in tightly. I struggled to get out...to no avail…

The curtains opened, the spotlights turned on...

...And on stage...was Kamiyaki…

She was dressed in a scant Monobotto-themed cheering outfit, she seemed to be extremely embarrassed. Behind her were a squad of several Monobottos, each wearing some sort of cheering outfit.

In the foreground, much larger Monobottos were playing American football, their game made to look more intense than it actually was. A siren went off and they cleared the field...

It seemed to be...a football halftime show…

An audience of various Monobottos sat on bleachers in the background.

She took in a deep breath and began to lead the squad of Monobottos in several different stunts. She did cartwheels, summersaults, even vaults...all to her best effort. It seems she wanted to show she was strong to the people who were watching us...perhaps even her friends from home…

Meanwhile the audience of Monobottos...they seemed to be bored. They booed her, throwing rocks in her direction.

Her stunts began to grow more dangerous, but all the more impressive. She pulled off several splits, backflips, and more. Then came the end of the performance…

The squad of Monobottos somehow used their arms to form a pyramid. Kamiyaki did three consecutive backflips and leapt to the top of the pyramid.

The audience still wasn't satisfied...one large rock hit one of the Monobottos that was supporting the base of the pyramid.

...That's when it all collapsed

The squad of Monobottos shifted around...unable support her weight. The shaking grew violent, and the pyramid fell over.

...A spike trap was opened in the floor, right to where Kamiyaki was falling.

She was falling backwards, she couldn't see her demise coming...but her face... _she...she knew it was the end of her performance…_

The spikes advanced rapidly, skewering her right...right there, suspended in the air…

A loud crashing sound rang out throughout the whole room, I could...I could see blood that...that splattered from the trap…

Kamiyaki's body was dropped into the trap, it being covered by the fake grass of the stage...with the Monobotto squad throwing their pompoms into the air in celebration. With that...the game resumed…

* * *

…

Wh…

...What...what the...the…

" _WHAT THE FUCK?!"_ I screamed out, losing all sense of reality. I could feel tears streaming from my eyes. " _W...W-WHY?!"_

"This...this isn't fair!" Kyohi yelled at Monobotto. He, too, was crying. "She killed him by accident! S-She...she didn't deserve that!"

"This is some serious fucked up shit!" Soro yelled out.

"Roboto estúpido!" Mei spat. "That was too fucking far!"

"Oh-contraire. This-execution-is-far-more-tame-compared-to-the-others-I-have-in-store-for-you-fools." Monobotto beeped.

"When I find out how to crack this code, I'm launching a virus that will force you and your clones to self-combust!" Zraiko gritted his teeth.

Some of the others suffered in a different way. Weise was crying, curled into a ball. Tikari hid her face in her beanie, Anne was hugging Fraize tearfully...

We...we were all outraged...there...there was no sense of sanity to be found at all…

"You-are-all-free-to-leave." Monobotto, or rather...the one in charge...released us from the auditorium seats. "Shame-the-first-murder-happened-before-I-gave-a-motive. Perhaps-that-goes-to-show...he-he-he…"

Hands shaking, I grabbed at my head. I...I screamed. I...I lost my mind…

"Kozaki, please..." Riko, who was sitting besides me, placed her hands gently onto mine. "Please...please…"

She...she couldn't even find the words to comfort me. She, too, was horrified.

"W...we're...we're all gonna die…" I cried, shaking my head uncontrollably. "This...this is the end...I...I…"

"Kozaki...I'm right here, please…" Riko stroked my hair gently, remembering that it comforted me.

"W...What if we end up like _her,_ Riko…?" I looked at her in the eyes. "W...What if…"

Despite being freed from the seats...nobody stood up. Nobody wanted to continue on...this...this was too much…

...But...I remembered...Yuuta and Kamiyaki…

…

I stood up, pointing to Monobotto. The tears were still streaming down my face. "Get her body out of there. I'm going to bury her, just like she asked me to."

…

Yes...I did.

I picked up Kamiyaki.

I carried her to the garden.

I laid Yuuta's diary atop his grave.

I dug up the dirt.

I laid her down next to Yuuta.

…I did it all on my own.

The others all slowly walked into the garden, looking at Kamiyaki. Looking at me.

"...Kozaki…" Riko held her hands together. She...she couldn't find any words to say.

Slowly I gave her a tight hug, without being able to find any words. She returned it, silently.

And so...Kamiyaki was buried next to Yuuta. We stayed in the garden perhaps for an hour. Nobody ate dinner, nobody...nobody wanted anything.

...And...people were watching us.

...I hope...those people will come save us…

Monobotto rolled into the room. On edge, we all stood in front of the graves, protectively.

"Relax-you-fools. I'm-here-to-drop-off-some-things." Monobotto dropped a set of items onto the ground.

Yuuta's fishing rod...and Kamiyaki's pompoms…

"They-are-of-no-use-to-me." Monobotto simply spun around once. "I-have-already-collected-her-Bottolet. I-will-see-you-fools-later."

Rather than causing a stupid, pointless fight...I picked up the items and laid them on top of their graves.

"I-will-have-to-send-second-cards-to-their-families-now." Monobotto turned to leave the room. "About-their-unfortunate-demise."

"...Hold it." I turned to Monobotto, frowning. "...Second cards...explain that."

"Oh-that's-right." Monobotto paused. "You-would-not-remember-the-calling-cards-we-left-behind-at-your-kidnappings."

...The...the hell…

"A-goodnight-to-you-all. You-fools. It-will-only-get-more-exciting-from-here."

With that...the bucket of bolts rolled away.

…

We slowly walked back to the dorms, pausing at the Grand Staircase. Nobody wanted to leave...afraid that the next morning someone else...would be gone…

...But when the night bell rang out, we all slowly went to our rooms to sleep. I kinda wish...I could sleep forever…

I paused at my dorm while everyone else slowly headed inside, silence sweeping across the entire room.

Well...I thought I was alone. Riko patted me on the shoulder, squeezing it. "Kozaki...please take care…"

Closing my eyes, I nodded. I watched Riko slowly pull away, then walk into her room. She paused to look at me, then finally going inside and closing the door.

I...I still couldn't..still couldn't leave.

What if...what if something happens while I sleep again?

What if Monobotto comes back?

What if someone will die?

"Amigo?"

I looked over to see Fraize, dressed in his avocado pajamas. That's right...his room was right next to mine. "Y-Yeah?"

He looked to the side, uncomfortably. "You seem...muy preocupada. Quieres...spend the night, conmigo?"

I blinked, feeling at my right arm. "Umm...I…"

Fraize sighed and shook his head. "N-No, nevermind. Fue una pregunta-"

"...I know...you...you're asking me to spend the night with you." I looked down. "...I'm sorry, I really didn't study German. Truthfully...I used to study Spanish, but I've forgotten a lot…I don't know if you've been jogging my memory, but...it feels like every day it becomes easier to understand you. Maybe…it's because of those 'night visits' and them screwing with my brain, but…"

Fraize blinked. "Ah...umm…"

It seems I went far off track. Sighing, I closed my eyes to think. "Well...I might try to off myself if I'm alone in my room." I chuckled, sadness in my eyes. "...Sure, let's have a sleepover. I'll get my stuff."

Nodding, Fraize smiled. "Yo comprendo, amigo."

I changed into my pajamas and pulled out the blankets and pillows from my bed, leaving the key and scrunchies in my drawer. Walking into Fraize's room, I locked the door behind me. Frankly said...I didn't give a shit about brushing my teeth.

I didn't give a shit about anything. Not after…

Fraize looked down, awkwardly. "Kozaki, yo...lo siento…"

I sighed, shaking my head and laying the bedding onto the ground. "...Monobotto is going to try and take us away tonight, isn't he?"

The tour guide sat down on his bed and nodded, slowly. "Yo...yo pienso…"

My hands began to shake again. For the first time in years...I felt absolute dread. I was miserable...and...and terrified. People are watching...people are...people…

...Are they...going to save us…?

I snapped back to reality when I felt a presence. Fraize was hugging me, trying to calm me. "We...have...to...live…"

His first whole sentence in pure English, atleast to my immediate memory. "Fraize?"

"We will...get out...of here…" He smiled, nodding. "Right, Kozaki?"

Closing my eyes, I returned the hug. "...Yeah...right."

"Sleep...sleep well tonight." He pulled away. "...You look like...you really...need it."

It seems he was speaking slowly because he wanted to make sure everything was translated to me. I chuckled, lightly. "...You don't have to try so hard to speak pure English. I really don't mind."

He nodded. "Ah...alright...buenas noches, amigo. Yo puedo stay awake and make sure el roboto will not come in."

Laying down on the floor, I covered myself with the blankets. "Thank you, Fraize. Muchas gracias…"

…

Despite the fact I gave off the act that I was sleeping peacefully...I couldn't manage to close my eyes.

I could see them...Yuuta and Kamiyaki.

...I could...still hear their voices…

I...I…

...I'm scared shitless. Cold sweat slipped down my face.

Who is...who is watching us?

Will they even save us?

Calling card…

...Do my parents...do they know?

...My parents...Shiro…

...Will I...ever see them again?

Please...let me wake up...please…

I wanna wake up back home, even if it's in a fucking jail cell, I don't care.

This...this isn't real…

…

Please...is anybody out there?

...Anyone?

...Help us…

...Help...help me...

* * *

Just before I was taken...I recalled the last time I saw my parents.

That morning, Shiro and I went out for a walk through the forest. I tossed him a few sticks, it was just like any other day.

Seeing my parents at the table eating, my father looked over to me. "You need to see Royce today, son."

I grabbed an apple and walked into the living room without a word.

My father walked into the living room and crossed his arms, frowning. "I'm talking to you, Kozaki. You went and burned Mrs. Hashigawa's lawn mower down. Now what are we going to do about it, huh? Are you going to buy her a new one?"

I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. I was pissed, I didn't give a damn. That old hag almost ran over Shiro with that damn lawn mower. What would she have done, _buy me a new fucking dog?_

"Young man!" My father pointed at me. "I'm talking to you!"

Gritting my teeth, I looked over to my father. "I fucking know that!"

"Answer me when I'm talking to you then!" He fumed.

My mother walked over and patted him on the shoulder, gently. He sighed and walked back into the dining room. My mother walked over to me. "Kozaki...there's something important that I need to tell you."

I groaned and turned to Shiro, petting him gently. "What? Is it about how much of a disgrace I am?"

"...You've checked out, Kozaki. You're going to end up in an asylum or even jail if you can't stop this." She gently ran her hand through my hair. "Please...I know you're hurting…"

"Go away." I sighed, relaxing my body. "Please, Mom...just leave me alone…"

"This is all because of that stupid _Danganronpa_!" My father shouted, pissed. "I told you it ruins people, Kozaki! I told you that you'd end up like my brother! That's why his wife divorced him and took the kids!"

"Shut the fuck up!" I shot back at him.

My mother shushed me and continued to brush through my hair. "Kozaki, please. Give it a chance."

Groaning, I stood up slowly and walked to the door, throwing on my hoodie and sneakers. Pulling the hood over my head and slinging my flamethrower over my shoulder, I sighed. "...Fine. But it'll be a waste of time. Nobody can salvage things when they've gotten _this bad_."

I stepped outside, into the rain. My mother walked over to the door, her eyes saddened. "Kozaki...we love you. That's why we care."

"I know you do." I sighed, turning back to face her. "...But I don't love myself. I don't give a damn what happens to me." I chuckled, lightly. "I wouldn't even mind if I fucking died today."

My mother stepped into the rain to kiss me on my forehead. "Please, don't say such cruel things. We really do love you."

Sighing once more, I hugged my mother gently. "...I love you too. That's why...I'll try again." I slowly pulled away.

"There's something we need to tell you at dinner, okay Kozaki?" My mother smiled and placed a hand over her stomach. "It's very, _very_ important...please be here."

"Okay, Mom." I smiled, lightly. "I'll see you for dinner, and I'll be on time. I won't keep you waiting."

...But I never saw her at dinner, nor even the next day. I imagine the closest thing she saw related to me were policemen knocking on her door to tell her I would be unable to come home.

My parents...I imagine them seeing the calling card. The dried ink letters telling them that their son was taken away, trapped inside the pill of the very drug they wanted to protect him from.

...I...honestly can't imagine how they would've felt at that moment…

Shocked, terrified?

...Despair?

* * *

"Kozaki? Amigo?"

I slowly looked up to see Fraize. "Yeah…?"

"Are you...too scared to sleep, amigo?" He asked, sitting down besides me. "L-Lo siento, yo pienso que you could've slept, pero...es...imposible, right…?"

I sighed, sitting up. "...I'm sorry, Fraize. I'm glad to have your company, but...I'm too scared to sleep. I don't...I don't…" I started to tear up, my eyes were burning. "I don't want...to lose someone while I sleep. I don't want that pain anymore, Fraize…"

He nodded, understanding. "Then I...will stay awake, contigo."

We sat in silence together for quite some time.

"...Recuerdo que Monobotto attacked you. You tried to say...una cosa. Pero...what was it?" He asked me.

"...When my head smacked into the ground...I lost it." I felt at my head. "... _Dangan_...that's all I managed to say."

"...We're part of una programma de _Dangan_?" Fraize scratched the back of his head. "Es...familiar, pero…"

"...It doesn't feel right." I closed my eyes, hugging my knees. "Fraize, I swear...I've seen all of this before. Somewhere, somehow...but...just when I finally realized what it was...Monobotto...quite literally beat the memories out of me…"

"Y...que es el proyecto de Zepto?" The tour guide crossed his arms. "...No tengo idea."

I slowly closed my eyes, yawning. "I...I'm sorry...it seems...I'm making things worse for everyone…"

"No esta el verdad." Fraize turned to me. "Kozaki, you were the only one que-"

"Zraiko would've had this done in two seconds. He...held back, all because of me…" I shook my head in shame.

Fraize shook his head. "No, fue because he waited for-"

"Please, Fraize…" I sighed. "...Just...let it be…"

He sighed, slowly standing up. "Okay…"

I looked up to hear the sound of the door opening. "You going out?"

Fraize turned around...he was...heading to his bed, on the opposite side of the room.

I slowly stood up, walking towards the door. "Did we not close it properly?"

...Something...just wasn't right…

"Cuidado!"

Fraize pushed me out of the room. I turned around to see Monobotto force a mask onto him...and he collapsed, out cold.

"Oh-dear. Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto mused, waving a second mask. "You-truly-are-a-handful."

I backed away, slowly. "N...No...get away from us...Just...just stop this! Stop this insane game! Stop it-!"

I didn't pay attention to where I was backing up. I lost my balance, falling backwards down the Grand Staircase. My head slammed into the ground...and I lost consciousness.

* * *

~Chapter One, End~

~Chapter Two, Start~


	8. If we Could Only Fly Daily Life 1

Chapter Two ~ If we Could Only Fly

* * *

"Jeez...they appointed _me_ to be responsible for you, huh?"

...A voice…?

"You sure are quite the handful, you know?"

I felt something pressed against my temple... an alcohol swab, was it? Something cold, certainly…

"You almost let it slip. That sure would've been bad...well...I mean the situation right now is also pretty bad...but we can still spin it in a way to make it work. Anyways...I wonder why you aren't installing Zepto properly...Maybe I should give you _Desparica-Thylemine?_ Hmm…"

Something suddenly pinched my right temple. I wanted to open my eyes, but I was too weak to even move.

"Maybe I just have to ask you nicely. Kozaki, can you pretty please install Zepto? Please, please?"

I wanted to say something. 'No,' obviously. Though, I couldn't really do anything at all. I...I thought this was just some freakish nightmare. I thought I could just...wait it out…

"O-Oh jeez...that's not good…"

A wave of cold spread throughout my body. I wanted to yell at the asshole, 'What the hell are you doing?!'

"Oh...oh crap...I think I-"

My eyes snapped open, being blinded by light. I looked around, frantically.

Where...where is...where am...what…

"O-O-Oh...y-you're awake…!"

I looked over to see one of the masked individuals towering over me. Despite the fact I could not see his or her face, I could hear the worry in his or her voice.

Worry...not for me.

"Haha...oh no...I'm going to be in _so_ much trouble...where did I put the morphine…?"

"Wh...hh…" I tried to speak, to little success.

The masked individual timidly walked back over to me. "H-Hey there. I know, I messed up. Don't worry, I-I'll just be a moment."

Slowly reaching my hand upwards toward the light, I tried to sit upright. "L...Le...Let...me…"

The individual pushed me back down. "N-No, no. You...stay there. I-I'm going to go get you the _Desparica-Thylemine_ now, okay? Y-You know, maybe it's good you woke up! M-Maybe you...need to be awake?" He or she quickly scurried around the room.

I ignored the individual and sat up, slowly. This wasn't the observatory...I didn't even know where I was. Though...the biggest question in my mind right now…

...Where is Fraize? ...Did...did they separate us? And...where are the others…?

...Where am I?

The individual came back from behind me, placing a hand over my mouth. "Hush now, alright? Just let me take care of this."

Another wave of cold came from my right temple, I felt woozy. My eyes slowly closed.

The individual began to stroke my hair, whispering to me, "You're going to be a good boy now, okay? You're causing us a lot of trouble. Seems your body just will keep rejecting Zepto over and over, huh? Don't worry. I'll finish up and we'll send you back into the killing game."

Only two words escaped from my lips. "I...can't…"

"Shh, shh...it's okay. Nice and easy…I'll give you your morphine...we'll try and figure out what to do with you. Ok? Now hush and go back to sleep...goodnight."

I felt myself slip away, the entire world fading out of focus…

* * *

A warmth…

...I could hear...the sound of seagulls…

Slowly sitting up, I looked around to find myself on a cliffside facing the ocean.

"You had a good nap, Kozaki?"

I looked over to see Yuuta giggling, his fishing rod cast. Kamiyaki was sitting next to him, helping with his fishing tools and scouting for potential catches.

"I...uhh...Y-Yeah." I walked over to sit besides them.

"We're trying to catch a big one!" Yuuta giggled. "Maybe it will be bigger than any other fish I've noted in my diary! Wouldn't that be great?"

"Sounds good. Can...I help you?" I smiled.

"Can you check if we have enough bait?" The fisherman asked me. "It's a special mix I came up myself, inside the box there."

I picked up Yuuta's fisherman box and opened it to find several baits and lures. There were even a few bobbers, but Yuuta wasn't using one. Possibly because he had the confidence in his ability to know when to reel in a fish without visual aid.

...What was his mix supposed to look like?

Kamiyaki walked over besides me, giggling. "Silly~! You see the plastic bag? That's where the mix is."

"A-Ah...I...I see." I picked up the small bag, finding some...interesting bait…

...It looked sort of like a bag of...gloopy stuff. I didn't have a single idea what it was.

Yuuta walked over to me with his fishing rod resting on his shoulder. There was a pretty big fish there.

"Kozaki, could you put this fish into the tub with the others?" Yuuta showed his catch, grinning pridefully. "I'll take the bait off your hands."

I wobbled as I picked up the fish. It's so...damn heavy...how strong was he to be slinging this over his shoulder so casually?!

"Kamiyaki, can you pour the bait into the ocean?" Yuuta turned to Kamiyaki.

"Yup~!" She nodded, eager to help. "What is this, by the way?"

"It's my own secret recipe." Yuuta giggled. "Maybe I'll tell you sometime."

"You're not saying this because you can't remember what's in it, are you?" Kamiyaki leaned in. "You have it written in your diary, right?"

"Aw shucks...you got me!" Yuuta casted into the ocean. Gently, he held his rod. "I also keep my favorite grilling recipes there. Let's cook some of this fish later!"

Sighing with a smile, I turned to look at the fish Yuuta had already caught. They were swimming around in a bin, quite nonchalantly.

"Woah...t-this one's gotta be huge!" Yuuta called out. "It's really tugging on the rod!"

"Come on, Yuuta! You can do it!" Kamiyaki cheered for him.

I turned to watch fisherman attempt to reel in the supposed prize catch, but...it seemed to be too big for him to handle.

"U-Uhh...c-can I get some help?" Yuuta's feet slipped, but he managed to keep his balance. "I-It's a big one!"

Kamiyaki grabbed onto the rod and tried to help Yuuta. "Don't worry. I'll help you reel it in!"

I quickly made an effort to help as well, but I tripped over and got myself a face full of dirt.

Slowly standing up, I looked to see the whole world shift in atmosphere. The sky was barren and gray, the water as putrid as blood. Yuuta and Kamiyaki…

Yuuta had cuts all over his body, with blood streaming from his mouth. Kamiyaki had numerous spots all throughout her body that showed evidence of being impaled. They...they were…

"Ko...Kozaki…" Yuuta turned to me. "H...Help...us…"

I sprinted forward and reached out, but...I wasn't fast enough. They were pulled off the cliff and into the ocean, the giant fish leaping out of the water. Taller than a skyscraper, it devoured them in a single bite. The bloody water rained down on top of me as I watched the fish slam back into the endless abyss.

I dropped to my knees, speechless...tears streaming from my eyes...just waiting for the void to consume me…

...I'm...I'm so sorry…

* * *

I woke up to a feeling of nausea, a pulsing sensation coming from my head. I pressed my hand against my right temple and jolted in response to a stinging sensation.

...Something...something happened...but I...couldn't remember anything…

...No...not again…

Slowly looking around, I found myself leaning against the wall of Fraize's room. Fraize was leaning against me, still asleep.

I took it upon myself to investigate him. Did...did he also have the same freakish experience I did?

…

There was some weird mark on his right temple, hidden behind all his hair.

...What are they doing to us?

"Fraize, wake up." I patted him on the shoulder. "Come on."

He yawned and slowly opened his eyes, feeling at his forehead.

"Hey...are you feeling okay?" I asked, worriedly.

"...Creo que...I had a nightmare…" He shivered. "Lo siento...I can't…"

"Can't remember." I sighed and slowly stood up. "...Let's make it a mission, Fraize."

"Hmm?" He looked up me, standing up quickly to catch up to my train of thought.

"...We have to find some way to remember what happens." I crossed my arms and shook my head. "It...it could help us to get out of here…"

"...Yo…" Fraize sighed and looked down. "...Tengo...fear, Kozaki."

We stood in silence for a moment. I wasn't sure what to say...how to respond...I felt the same way.

...I…

We both looked upwards upon hearing the morning bell. Nine-o-clock, huh…

I walked over to the door and gripped at the handle, pausing to look back to Fraize. Slowly, I extended a hand out to him. "...Come with me, please. Let's...let's go together."

He smiled lightly and took me by the hand. "Gracias."

We stepped outside his dorm room, looking around the area. I felt a wave of dread that crawled down my spine…

...Everyone else...where are they?

I felt my stomach grumble, then awkwardly looked over to Fraize. "Heh...I uh...guess I'm kinda hungry." I slowly let go of his hand and felt at my right arm. "Since...we didn't eat dinner last night, because…" I grew crestfallen, my throat swelling. "...I'll go get dressed."

Quickly going into my dorm room, I changed into my usual outfit. Waiting by the stairs, Fraize stepped out of his room dressed in his tour guide uniform.

"...Amigo, vamos a la dining room, okay?" Fraize attempted to guide me out of the emotional downward spiral I was heading towards.

"...Okay." I closed my eyes for a moment's notice, then looking forwards. "Let's go."

Fraize and I walked into the dining room to find it filled by the empty husks of the others. Physically they were there, but...emotionally…

Everyone was a wreck, bags under their eyes. Seems that nobody was able to sleep. Well...except for Sayino and Mei, due to their...appointments.

...Interestingly enough, Weise also seemed to have gotten some form of sleep, but...that wasn't saying much for him. Despite the fact that he would've stuffed himself with Anne's crepes only just yesterday...he barely touched his food.

...Anne's crepes weren't as lively as before, seemed to be cooked only for the sake of being able to feed us. Her passion was...pretty much gone…

I took a seat in between Soro and Neizami. Neither of them seemed to be interested in conversing with me. In fact...they...they seemed to grow uncomfortable…

There wasn't a single word said during breakfast. I slowly ate my muffin with some bacon.

...The muffin was bland, and the bacon was cold. Anne...she must've been completely burnt out…

I figured I may as well just finish eating and leave, as...nobody had anything to say. Maybe it was for the best. I was just about ready to stand up when a pair of hands pressed onto my shoulders.

"Kozaki, we need to talk."

I slowly looked up to see Zraiko. "H...Huh?"

The hacker sighed. "...We've been waiting for you, you know. To talk about yesterday."

"...Oh…" I closed my eyes with a sigh. "...No...I don't...I don't want to think about that…" My hands started to shake. "...I...I can't…"

"...I'm not talking about their deaths, Kozaki." Zraiko sighed and moved his hands off me. "I'm talking about you."

"M...Me?" I turned around in my chair, looking over to him. "What do you mean?"

"...Well, we all want to visit a student Shift Room to give our minds some rest, don't we?" Zraiko looked over to the group of students. Seems Fraize didn't know what he was talking about. Meanwhile...Riko and Kyohi were nervous.

"I...don't think that will help me feel any better." I sighed and turned back to my food. "...I'm sort of just...broken right now…"

Zraiko once again placed his hands onto my shoulders, with more force this time. "Kozaki."

"W-What?" I looked back to him.

"We need to talk." He frowned. "And we'll do it in the Shift Room, alright?"

I stood up, facing Zraiko. "A-Alright, fine...but make it quick, please…I just...need some time to emotionally..."

"We'll take as long as we need." Zraiko looked across the room. "Won't we?"

"Umm…" I started to feel uncomfortable, seeing everyone's faces holding uneasy expressions. "S-So...who's Shift Room are we going to?"

Zraiko pointed at me. "Yours."

"W...What?" I blinked. "M-My room?"

"...Kozaki, you can stop with the act. Yesterday made it clear. You're not the Super-Highschool-Level Jeweler. And so...you're going to show us all who you really are." Zraiko leaned in.

I grew pale, holding my right arm with fear. "I...I don't…"

"Go on, then. Take us to your Shift Room." Zraiko squinted his eyes. "I'll bet all my life savings you're not a jeweler. Not after yesterday. Now then...show us what you're hiding."

My whole body was tense as the entire group followed me to the Shift Rooms. Their eyes were all staring, waiting…

I didn't have a choice. I opened the room to let them all inside. I stayed by the door to close it after they all entered.

"Woaaaah. I-It's nice and warm here." Neizami looked around, smiling lightly. "It's like...a-a feeling of being at h-home..."

...Neizami was stuttering, much like when we first met. It seems that what happened yesterday really...put her on edge. I would check up on her if it wasn't for...w-well...

"The rocks are pretty damn large. Like chairs." Soro examined them. "Makes for a good shoot, I'll say."

Sayino took a seat and looked around. "Dunno guys, I think this is pretty chill."

"Oh yes, the gasoline against the wall is very 'chill' and all." Ingreis squinted her eyes. "...What kind of talent is this supposed to be?"

"Aw guys, look!" Anne reached up to pick an apple, however...she was too short to reach. "An apple tree! I should make an apple pie!"

It was good to see her having a rekindling of her passion, but…

"Kozaki…" Riko looked over to me, as she was standing besides me. She whispered, "W-What are we going to do?"

I gulped and turned to her. "I...I'll take care of it…"

"I can't reach!" Anne sighed, looking downwards.

"Which one do you want? Yo puedo ayudar." Fraize smiled, offering her help.

Anne pointed upwards, towards the top of the tree. She stood on her tippy-toes, ready to bounce up and down. "This one! It's...it's just so...sparkly...and perfectly ripe…"

"O...Oh…" He blinked. "That's...five feet too high para mi. No puedo..."

Without even thinking, I walked over to the tree. "Don't worry, I can get it for her."

They all looked quite surprised as I began to climb up the tree, reaching a height of at least twelve feet. I picked up the apple and sat on a branch, tossing it down to her. "Here, Anne."

She caught it, smiling. "Thank you, Kozaki."

"Aha!" Weise gasped, pointing to me. "Je connais his talent! He's...the Super-Highschool-Level Tree Climber!"

"Uhh...I-I don't think that's it…" Neizami fiddled with her scarf. It seems she had it laundried, as the blood stains from my gashed arm were gone. "Though, it is quite impressive!"

"Maybe he's the Super-Highschool-Level Construction Worker, eh?" Tikari pointed to the metal beams that were against the wall.

"Nah, nah. He's the Super-Highschool-Level Firefighter. Why else would he have gasoline here? He has to know how fire works. Plus, he can climb super well. He's got all the knacks for working in rescue." Soro nodded, adjusting his cap.

"Maybe he's the Super-Highschool-Level Rescue Worker, then?" Sayino shrugged.

I didn't know what to say. It seemed as though they would spend hours trying to guess my talent. Meanwhile, Riko and Kyohi were just as silent as Mest.

...Mest's eyes were staring right into me. It was as if...he already knew…

"Well, we can't get Riko and Kyohi to spill, so…" Mei looked up to me. "Daisuke, por favor...just tell us what your talent is."

"I…" I sighed, looking away.

...What do I say? That I'm a _fucking arsonist?_

"...I don't have a talent." I shook my head. "I'm...probably the least talented piece of shit you could ever find. Dropped outta high school, I just...drift around wherever. Sometimes I help my dad with his lumber work, sometimes I just...spend all my time wandering around without a goal in mind. Just drifting."

"...Kozaki…" Riko held her hands together.

"I had a dream, once." I closed my eyes. "...I...I realized it was all just a delusion, though...I don't have what it takes to...well...I'm nothing like the rest of you. I've never accomplished anything, never been good at any particular thing. I have to see a therapist because of how damn lost I am right now...I'm sorry if you were expecting...something incredible from me."

Everyone seemed to be quite saddened by what I had to say.

"...Did you lie about being a jeweler...to feel like you're like us?" Tikari felt at her beanie.

"Yeah...I mean…" I slowly climbed down halfway from the tree before just jumping off. "You've all got some really great talents!" I looked across the whole group. "...A clarinetist, a fashion designer, a hacker, and me…?" I chuckled, sadly. "...I'm nothing."

"Kozaki, don't say that, please." Kyohi walked over to me, offering a smile. "We wouldn't be here right now without you. You were the only one who...was able to face the truth."

I looked over to Zraiko, making eye contact with him. "...Was I really?"

There was no response.

"...You do have a talent, though!" Kyohi nodded. "You're...the Super-Highschool-Level Kozaki Daisuke. And your talent might be the one that helps us escape!"

"I…" I blinked, feeling as though he was giving me too much credit.

"Case closed, I say." Ingreis sighed and walked over to the door. "No need to place him under any more pressure. After all...he did push very hard yesterday, and we can't argue with that."

"...Thank you, Ingreis." I nodded.

Slowly, the others exited my Shift Room. Weise paused and turned back to me. "...Alors...you're not the Super-Highschool-Level Tree Climber?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "Weise, please…"

"D'accord, d'accord..." He puffed his cheeks and left the room.

I looked over to the door to see Fraize about to leave, being the last one who had yet to. "...Fraize, wait."

The tour guide paused, looking back in my direction. "Yes, amigo?"

Walking over to him, I took his hand to walk him over to the rocks. "...I...I need to tell you something, and you have to promise...you won't tell anyone."

"...Kozaki?" He blinked.

"Okay, okay. Well...you can talk to me about it, as well as Riko and Kyohi, but...I…" I shook my head and sat down onto a rock. "Please…"

Fraize slowly sat down, looking to me. "Amigo, esta una problema?"

"...Yeah…It's a big problem..." I sighed. "...Fraize...listen carefully, please."

He sat upright, giving me his fullest attention.

"...I do...have a talent…" I looked away for a moment, then turning back to him, looking at him in the eyes. "And I don't know how you'll feel about it, but...I want to tell you the truth...because I trust you. Because...I think you'll be able to help me."

Fraize nodded after processing the information. "...Cual es your talent, Kozaki?"

"...I'm." I shook my head, then frowning and giving a decisive nod. "I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist."

* * *

Fraize and I walked over into the dorms area to find everyone waiting at the Grand Staircase. He seemed to be a little shaken by everything I told him.

…

I told him everything.

…

Even the things Riko and Kyohi don't know...yet.

…

I didn't mean to, but...I got so emotional I...spilled everything.

And...Fraize didn't run away. He stayed and listened, and so he heard all of it.

I...made the right choice.

...

"Now that you're here…" Zraiko began to speak.

"You guys sure took your time. Were you confessing your love or what?" Soro frowned. "Like, seriously. You took a damn long time. Like any scene in a romantic movie where the girl would monologue about her love kind of long."

Fraize felt at his neck, he seemed to be blushing.

Awkwardly, I looked to the side. "I-I'm sorry about that. I just needed a little company. After all, we did sleep together in his room last night because I was scared shitless..."

Everyone looked at me with various expressions.

"...Wow, Kozaki. Didn't know you were on that side of the river." Tikari smiled.

"H-Huh?" I blushed, shaking my head. "N-No, you misunderstand! It was-"

"Guys…" Anne felt at her apron. "Can we...can we go, now?"

Quickly shaking it off, I looked to Anne. "Go where…?"

"We're going to the garden." Riko held her hands together, looking down. "To...to see them."

I looked down, my heart feeling heavy. "...Oh, I...I see...alright…"

Upon entering the garden, I found myself with a different feeling from when I was last here.

Rather than a feeling of dread...it was...a feeling of emptiness. A feeling that...was probably worse.

A feeling of not knowing _what to even feel_. A void inside you, hollowing you…

...The recently rekindled liveliness of the group was burned out the moment we entered. We wanted so much...to just...move on…

But...could we even…?

...Yuuta and Kamiyaki...they would want that, wouldn't they?

"We'll get out of here." Neizami felt at her scarf. "...Because we promised, right?"

"...I can't imagine how their families are feeling." Riko's lip trembled. "...This is...just…"

Just...so difficult to...to understand…

...I hope that they are sleeping peacefully...and...well...I…

...I...I dreamed about them, last night...it was like it was really them…

I'd...like to imagine that Yuuta is fishing somewhere right now, Kamiyaki by his side...cheering for him…

"Hey...guys…" Sayino sighed. "Let's make sure that when we get out of here, they'll have a proper funeral."

"...Yes." Ingreis nodded. "It's the best we can do for them now…"

I sighed, closing my eyes. Will we even...have the chance? What if... we'll be trapped here... _forever?_

"If I may…" Riko held her hands together. "Perhaps...I can sing a song to see them off?"

"You sing, Riko?" Kyohi asked, curiously.

She nodded, stepping forward. "While playing clarinet is my talent, I can sing as well...ah, well...at least I think so?"

"Go on, then." Kyohi smiled, sitting down. "I want to hear you sing."

We all slowly took seats on the garden grounds and waited patiently for Riko to sing. She smiled lightly and prepared herself with a quick scale.

"Okay...here goes." She closed her eyes.

 _Two steps forward, two steps back._

 _A certainty to continue is what I now lack..._

 _I wonder if...I've gone on too far this time?_

 _The feeling now is more sour than the ripest lime..._

 _Two steps too quick, two steps too slow…_

 _Now I'm at the road's fork, no direction I can go…_

 _Have I gone on beyond the mist, out too far for you to see me?_

 _Though perhaps you are wishing to leave it be..._

 _Have I gone on ahead, surpassing dawn?_

 _Lonelier than an orphan fawn…_

 _So cold out here, can you see this endless night?_

 _When will I see...the warm ray's light?_

She seemed to be quite embarrassed...but…

"Riko...that was amazing." I slowly stood up and walked over to her. "Heh...how you can sing in this cruel place...I'll never know."

She smiled, bowing her head lightly. "Th..thank you…"

We all took some more time to...just be with Yuuta and Kamiyaki. We made a promise to visit them every morning...so we don't forget their tragedy.

We went to go and have lunch right afterwards with a more hopeful feeling. People were actually talking to each other. Weise was back to his usual uhh...eating habits...and well...everything was lively. Not the liveliness of a party, no. But...we were alive.

"Hey...amigo." Fraize looked over to me, as he was sitting besides me. "Puedes tell me something?"

"Huh?" I looked over to him.

"...Tús padres. You'd try anything to get money for them, sí?"

"Well...anything within reason." I scratched the back of my head. "Why ask?"

Fraize nodded with a slight smile. "Tambien estaba in your shoes. Mi familia did not have much dinero. But...when I was old enough to work, I became una guía turístico."

"Ah…" I took a while to process his sentence. "...And...that's your talent now."

"Sí." He felt at his necklace, closing his eyes. "At first...I was afraid that…"

"That you...wouldn't earn enough?" I asked, taking a bite of my lunch, a meatball sandwich.

"Hmm...sort of. Es...difícil para explicar." He replied.

I closed my eyes for a moment. Difficult to explain, huh…

Was he worried about underworking? Overworking? Putting in enough effort?

"...Hey, how did you know?" I looked to Fraize again. "That...this was your talent?"

He looked down, uncertain. "Honestly...no creo que...this is my talent...perhaps it is porque estoy una guía fantástico?"

"But...you don't want to keep doing it?" I took another bite of my sandwich.

"...Ahora, no pienso…" He sighed, looking back to me. "It's not my dream, amigo."

"So...what is your dream?" I smiled, pointing to him. "What do you want to do when we get out of here?"

"...Yo quiero...no se…" He shook his head.

I placed a hand onto his right shoulder, smiling lightly. "It's okay if you don't know right now."

He slowly smiled, nodding to me. "Gracias, Kozaki."

"You're welcome." I nodded in return.

Lunch was over, and the river was still. I was glad that Monobotto was nowhere to be found. I think I'd rip my hair out if he came in to make another murder happen…

...Maybe I should go and talk to Mest about yesterday. He's awfully silent...but that only makes me all the more curious about the things going on in his head.

...What was he doing in the library and...why do I get these... _vibes_ from him?

* * *

The student Shift Rooms were both occupied. I knew one of them had to be Zraiko's. I knocked on one of the doors...only silence replied to me.

"...Can I come in?" I asked.

There was no verbal response. Instead the door cracked open slightly, Mest peeking through.

"Hey, Mest." I looked to the side for a moment. "Could we...umm...talk?"

Mest moved away from the door, allowing for me to open it fully to step inside. I closed it behind me, turning to see him walk over to his equipment.

"Where do you want it?" He asked me.

"...Huh?" I blinked.

"... You're...not here for a tattoo, are you?" He asked, with a softer voice. "...You want to ask me about...the library, right?"

I nodded, without much thought. "Well...yeah. I wanted to know if you found anything."

He sighed and took a seat besides one of his pieces of equipment, tinkering with it. "...There's a bookshelf on the first floor. It sounded hollow when I knocked on it, and-"

"Back up." I took a few steps forward. "...You were...knocking on bookshelves?"

"I took books off shelves, put them back on shelves, moved chairs and desks…" He shrugged. "The library just felt...too large to not be hiding something."

"...Hmm…" I crossed my arms. "Could you show me?"

He slowly stood up.

"Ah, no, wait!" I shook my head, changing my mind. "...Later. I...I want to talk to you about something else first."

He slowly sat down.

"...Mest...I owe you for getting Monobotto off me." I held my right arm, uncomfortably. "...And...I figured...you're always so quiet. Wouldn't you...like to talk with me?"

"...What about?" He asked, slowly standing up again. He walked over to another piece of equipment. "Surely...about that little...fiasco...right?"

"I think you were pretty brave." I looked to the side. "I can't see myself...doing that…so, thank you."

Mest looked at me for a good while. It seemed as though he was expecting me to say something else.

"...Mest. Some people...get tattoos to remember loved ones, right?" I slowly walked over to him.

"Yes...what about it?" He asked me.

I took a seat at one of the tattoo stations, slowly taking off my hoodie. "...I want one, behind my right shoulder. Of two triangles, like yours."

He was...certainly surprised. "Kozaki?"

"I'm nineteen. Legally old enough to decide for myself." I frowned, now taking off my sweater. "Mest...please. It's...so that I won't forget them. The spots, I want them to be pink and green, for them. Is that...okay with you?"

Mest sighed. "...Alright, Kozaki."

"While we do that, let's talk about you." I smiled

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure you'll be able to talk." He began his preparations. "Especially if this is your first time. It's going to hurt, I'm not sure what your pain tolerance is."

"Oh please." I chuckled. "I went into the Puzzle Room and came out just fine."

He sighed, ready to begin. "Alright, then. I'll just talk to you about myself without you asking me the questions."

...Well...he was right...it did hurt. Quite a lot, too. More than I was expecting. I bit my lip, clenching my fists to try and tough out the pain.

"Well...my two tattoos that I have on my arms. They're about a friend of mine from a long time ago. I got these to remember him." He began to explain.

I wanted to ask what happened...but it seems he read my mind.

"He's gone now...I don't think I'll ever see him again." Mest sighed.

He proceeded to tell me more about himself, about why tattoos were his specialty. He said...originally he was going to study design, but a sudden change of pace brought him here. Even he couldn't tell what it was.

He continued on to tell me about other details in his life. He moved from America to Japan when he was young, and has slowly forgotten to speak English due to his lack of needing the language. He didn't forget all of it, no. He could still hold a conversation well. But the complexities of the language...no, he couldn't do them.

I wanted to ask him more about his friend that he won't be seeing again, but...perhaps it is too private for him.

"Alright, you're done." Mest slowly stood up and walked to go get something. "So then...I suppose now you'll ask me some questions, right?"

I rolled my shoulder back, trying to massage out the pain. "Y-Yeah...why are you so quiet outside? When...we're all in a group. You never say anything unless you just...really need to say it. Do you have anxiety?"

"...No." He walked back with two hand mirrors, handing one to me. "It's...more of a matter of...trust."

"And you trust me? After this morning with everyone having the hots for finding my talent?" I chuckled, awkwardly. "I'm...not sure if you're making the right choice here."

"Oh, believe me. I know in hindsight it would make sense to be cautious around you. Though...something about you…"

"Hmm?" I turned around, looking to him.

He sighed and shook his head. "It's...familiar to the friend I had once. I suppose...I miss him too much, so I see him in you."

I looked down, unsure of what to say.

"...Ah, anyways. Did you want to see how it turned out?" Mest felt at his left wrist.

"R-Right." I nodded, not wanting to make the tattoo artist uncomfortable.

Mest had me turn around and line up my hand mirror with his. I took a moment to observe the tattoo, two crossed triangles with pink and green splotches behind them.

Now they'll always be here, with me. It's a promise to them that I won't forget.

"So then...let's go to the library. I'll show you what I've found." Mest nodded.

I slowly put on my sweater, then slipping on my hoodie. "...Thank you."

...I closed my eyes...wondering what Mest could see in me.

We entered the library from the second floor entrance and slowly descended to the first floor. Mest walked me over to a bookshelf towards the back entrance, knocking on it. "This is the one."

I leaned in with curiosity, knocking on it myself. "...That's weird. Is it the only one you've found?"

"Yes." He shrugged, simply. "Perhaps...we could open it somehow?"

"Are you saying there's a secret passageway in here?" I chuckled. "What, like one of those fantasy castles?"

"...I would take that with a grain of salt, Kozaki." Mest felt at his chin. "Perhaps...this is how Monobotto gets around here, appearing and disappearing at will."

"...So let's break in!" I pumped my fists. "Knock that bucket of bolts out. I bet it's got a secret headquarters that Zraiko could hack into and get us help!"

"...And your impulsive side is showing again." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Hmm…" I scratched the back of my head in thought. "...I got it! Soro would know all about movie things like this. I'm sure he can bust out his know-how and open the shelf."

"...You aren't even listening, are you?" Mest felt at his forehead.

"I'll be right back, stay there!" I quickly rushed out to find the cinematographer.

Returning with Soro about ten minutes later, I found Mest sitting by one of the tables reading a book about meteorites.

"Which one is it?" Soro asked, looking around.

"This one." I knocked on the shelf in question to confirm it. "Can you open it?"

Soro felt at his cap in thought. "Hmm...I'll take a crack at it."

I decided to join Mest at the table, skooching my chair in.

The tattoo artist looked at me with an eyebrow raised. He didn't have any words for me.

"...So tell me." I folded my hands, looking to the side. "...Yesterday, you...didn't give a single shit when confronting Monobotto. How did you...you do it?"

"...I just felt it was right." He turned the page of his book. "It was breaking the rules it set. It's quite…"

"Bullshit." I frowned.

"...You could say that." He shook his head. "I noticed...Monobotto is quite interested in you."

" _Interested_ you say." I frowned, squinting my eyes. "Yeah, sure. Interested in making sure I'm the next one dead!"

"...Don't you notice it, Kozaki? How it directly takes shots at you. How it observes you closely. Something about you...it seems to have an interest for that reason."

"...Something about me? Like what?" I shook my head. "It's probably just trying to rub all this in my face, about not being able to do anything while it...toys with me…"

"Unfortunately...I cannot answer that." Mest closed his book and stood up. "Just...Kozaki...make sure you're _never alone_."

"Huh…?" I blinked, watching Mest walk over to Soro.

...Does he mean to say...Monobotto will go after me at any given moment I'm not with someone nearby?

...But...Mest is right...that bucket of bolts really just seems to enjoy fucking with me.

And...I hate that.

 _Damn, I fucking hate it._

In the end, Soro was left feeling at his cap in confusion. Seems he ran through every trope he knew to no success. For now...it seemed we wouldn't know what was beyond the library's hidden passage.

"Fuck this, man." Soro kicked at the bookshelf. "I'm stumped."

"...I shall continue to believe these are Monobotto's passages." Mest looked to the side.

"You're more talkative than usual. Any special occasion?" Soro questioned the tattoo artist.

"...No." Mest shook his head.

"Whatever. Anyways, this is more complicated than the one time the director made twelve orders of frappe in the middle of a shoot with an action scene!" The cinematographer shook his head. "Twelve different flavors, too. Not only that, the fucking barista spelled his name wrong on all of them! Five different names for him, I tell you! I didn't get paid for that overtime until two weeks later!"

"...Yikes." I looked to the side. "Sounds like a bad day…"

"...Who am I kidding?" Soro sighed, crossing his arms. "I love the guy. He's just got this...vibe around him. He took me under his wing, so...I damn know I wouldn't be who I am today without him."

"Do you miss him?" Mest asked, feeling at his left wrist.

"Sure as hell do." Soro felt at his cap. "...This is his cap, y'know. I borrowed it from him when we were shooting on a real sunny day. I forgot to give it back, and...whelp. Sure can't do that now."

"Don't say that." I gave a firm nod. "We're going to get out of here, and you're going to give him his hat back."

"...The last time you said that, people _fucking died._ " Soro glared at me. "Don't fucking curse me, dude."

I was taken aback by that. "I...I'm...sorry…"

The amount of tension in the room could be cut by a knife. Mest started to climb back up to the second floor. "Let's meet with the others, shall we?"

"Why?" I blinked.

"...You have notifications disabled, don't you?" Mest took out his Bottolet, showing me the messaging app. "Monobotto has summoned us all to the Grand Staircase."

Groaning, I sighed and shook my head. "...That damn wingnut…"

"Come on, then. I'd rather not lose my head for being late." Mest began to climb upstairs.

* * *

I took a seat on one of the top steps, sitting besides Tikari. She was holding her beanie anxiously and didn't have any words to say except for a quick hello.

Monobotto slowly rolled onto the scene, it appeared to be quite bothered by something.

"Greetings-to-all-you-fools." Monobotto stopped relatively close to the staircase. "I-am-here-to-provide-your-motives. You-know-I-was-scolded-greatly-after-yesterday. You-fools-caused-me-a-great-pain-in-the-rear. I-had-to-clean-thirty-toilets-for-breaking-the-attack-rule-!"

"That's hardly a fair punishment, if I'll say." Sayino crossed her arms, shaking her head. "You should've at least cleaned thirty of _our_ toilets."

"We don't have thirty toilets…" Kyohi blinked.

Soro felt at his cap. "Dumbasses. We need to have a better demand!"

Kyohi frowned at the cinematographer.

"...Idiots?" Soro asked.

Kyohi shook his head.

"...Dummies?"Soro blinked.

The hockey player sighed and gave himself a facepalm.

"Fine-then. One-moment." Monobotto spun around. "...I-have-received-instructions."

"S-So quickly?" Neizami asked, almost inaudibly.

"You-are-permitted-to-break-one-rule-in-return." Monobotto pointed to us.

"Thank fuck for that!" I stood up, feeling energized. "Come here, you wingnut! I'll kick your head straight to the damn moon!"

Kyohi coughed, looking to me.

"S-S...Sorry, Kyohi…" I looked down.

"K-Kozaki, sit down…" Riko held her hands together. "We should save this for when we really need it…"

I sighed and did as the clarinetist asked. "Okay, okay…"

"I agree." Ingreis crossed her arms. "If someone were to break a rule by accident, this could save their keister."

Zraiko nodded in agreement. "Exactly that."

Monobotto butted in, not waiting for anyone. "Anyways. I-will-now-explain-to-you-fools-the-motives."

"M-Motives?" Neizami clutched her scarf worriedly.

"Hear me out, bucket of bolts." I stood again up to point at Monobotto. "Fuck you and your motives! Can I just leave?!"

An awkward silence. Kyohi coughed, uncomfortably.

...Sorry, Kyohi. I'm pretty bad at filtering myself...

Monobotto turned to me sharply. "Sit-down-Kozaki-Daisuke."

Frowning, I glared at Monobotto. " _Make me._ "

"Kozaki, please…" Riko turned around from her seat to look at me with worry. "Don't...don't make it angry…"

I sighed and sat back down.

"Now-then. It-has-been-quite-a-long-time-since-your-families-have-seen-you. This-old-motive-was-going-to-be-the-reward-for-the-killer. However-you-fools-are-being-very-foolish. Therefore-you-will-all-get-this-expired-motive-for-free-while-I-prepare-the-new-one." Monobotto spun around. "Some-of-your-families-have-not-seen-you-in-over-a-year."

...What…?

I thought...I thought it was only a few days ago when-

"As-an-example." Monobotto sprouted an arm and pointed right to me. "Kozaki-Daisuke. You-were-the-first-one-to-be-taken. Your-parents-have-not-seen-you-in-one-year-and-four-months."

Wh...what?

"Th...that's a pretty sick joke, you know?" I frowned. "You assholes took me a few days ago!"

But I was sweating...denying it...knowing it could very well be the truth…

"No-you-fool. We-kept-you-in-suspended-animation-until-you-woke-up-here." Monobotto turned away. "Seems-you-have-missed-out-on-many-things. You-would-best-catch-up-with-your-family-in-that-case."

I placed my head in my hands, looking down.

...This whole time…I…

What the hell…

…

I wasn't paying attention while Monobotto was explaining the motive further. I only snapped back to reality when I noticed everyone stand up and begin to walk as a group upstairs…

"The-Mono-shift-Room-will-be-set-up-as-a-reality-television-confession-room. We-are-trying-to-really-bring-in-those-views." Monobotto opened the door.

"Maybe we don't want to be your little puppets on your quest for trending?" Ingreis rolled her eyes.

"But-more-viewers-makes-more-people-aware-of-your-situation. Perhaps-they-will-attempt-to-help-you-?" Monobotto teased us. "Is-that-not-what-you-are-hoping-for-?"

We all exchanged glances, feeling uneasy.

"Line-up-against-the-wall. You-will-be-allotted-five-minutes-to-speak-with-any-loved-one-of-your-choice." Monobotto rolled inside the room. "First-one-up."

The first one in line was Kyohi. He looked back to us with worry, but slowly walked into the room. The door closed behind him quite roughly.

"...So...we need to use this to our advantage." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "All of you, get in contact with someone who you know works in law enforcement of any kind. Police, government, whatever. We need to spread out our information globally."

Neizami tapped her fingertips together. "B-But...I...I want to talk to my parents...I-I miss them…"

"Monobotto is just trying to get you emotionally vulnerable." The hacker looked to her, critically.

"Maybe...maybe it's too much to ask of all of us, eh?" Tikari frowned, looking to Zraiko. "I need to speak with my brother."

Zraiko sighed and shook his head. "...Fine then. Can I have at least _two other people_ to help me with this?"

Weise slowly raised his hand, it was shaking. "I...I could…"

"Weise…" Riko held her hands together.

"It's...alright. I wanted to speak with mon mentor, but…" He looked down. "...My father travailler dans the government. I'll...I'll do it."

I found it strange how Weise would rather have spoken to his mentor rather than his own father. Did he...have a bad relationship with his family?

"Any other volunteers?" Zraiko looked around, arms crossed.

No one...not one other person wanted to speak with anyone besides their loved ones.

...I...I wanted to speak with my parents as well. I wanted to ask my mother what she was meaning to tell me that night at dinner. I don't know if she would even remember, but…

...I wanted to tell my father I was sorry for lashing out. I wanted to tell my parents I loved them.

...I wanted...to tell them...I'm scared I won't make it home...and…

I love them...always…

…

"...I can do it." I looked to Zraiko. "There's someone I know who has a lot of connections."

Zraiko smiled slightly at me. "Thanks, Kozaki." He then adjusted his glasses. "Make it count."

We watched as the line slowly advanced, at an interval of once every five minutes. Seems that Monobotto was strict with that time limit.

...Just like...when Yuuta…

I shook my head. No...I have to stay focused…

Kyohi seemed to be a little more confident in himself. I guess his family encouraged him to stay strong. Neizami felt at her scarf walking out, unable to say anything. It seems she was crying, but wiped her tears away...showing us a smile. Tikari was feeling at her beanie, her eyes were hopeful. Soro walked out holding his cap before putting it back on. Maybe he talked to his director…

The door suddenly flew open as Weise ran out, sobbing. I wanted to ask him what happened, but...he had already ran down the Grand Staircase, perhaps to lock himself in his dorm room.

...Weise...what happened?

"...He really must've wanted to speak with his mentor…" Riko's lips quivered. "I...I'll speak with him after I've finished. I hope he'll be alright…"

I felt like that wasn't the problem. If he was speaking to his father, and they really did have an unhealthy relationship…

…

"I'll come with you, Riko." I nodded. "We all need to be headstrong, so...I want to make sure Weise will be alright."

"Alright." Riko slowly walked into the Mono-shift Room.

"... _Fantástico,_ Nikiroi." Mei shook her head. "You put too much pressure on the poor chico."

Zraiko sighed and felt at his forehead. "...It had to be done."

"I'm already finished, so I'll run after him for now!" Kyohi raised his hand.

I smiled, giving Kyohi a nod. "Go for it."

With that, the hockey player dashed after Weise.

After a while of awkwardness, Riko stepped out. She seemed to be quite...dismayed.

"Riko, are you okay?" I reached over to her.

She looked over to me and quickly tried to compose herself. "A-Ah, I'm sorry for worrying you! I'll go to Weise now...I'm okay."

She hurried off before I could ask her what happened…

"Go on, amigo." Fraize nodded to me. "Esta your turn."

"R-Right…" I felt at my right arm. "...Hope it goes well…"

* * *

Inside the room was a chair with a cell phone laying on the left arm rest. There were several spotlights and cameras focused on it, with a curtain background behind it. Seems Monobotto wanted to really make this like some sick reality program. Slowly, I took a seat in the chair.

"Go-on-and-call-any-number-you-wish. Your-five-minutes-will-start-once-they-pick-up." It explained to me. "Your-only-rule-is-you-cannot-speak-of-this-program. I-will-shoot-you-if-you-do. And-no. I-am-not-doing-the-kidding-you-fool."

...Oh fuck me...

"...What if he doesn't pick up?" I looked over to the bucket of bolts.

"Well-that-would-just-be-sad. However-that-would-also-be-expected-for-a-fool-such-as-yourself." Monobotto beeped.

I sighed, looking back to the cell phone.

I...I could just call my parents. Lie about it to Zraiko afterwards.

...No...I'm tired of lying to them. If they're going to be good to me, I have to do something in return. I…

...I'm sorry, Mom. I know it must kill you to be living on without your only son, wondering...what happened to him.

Unless...you're watching me right now, are you?

...No. You and Dad made it clear to me as a child to stay away from those drugs. I hope that you're not watching, I hope...you won't watch me die…

I slowly dialed the number and held the phone up to my ear, hand shaking.

…

...He picked up.

"...Kozaki?" He asked me, surprised.

"I only have five minutes." I explained, looking to the side. "Please...I-"

"I know. It was put on the screen." He paused. "...Why me?"

"Because you're my attorney, and I know you can help me." I then blinked. "...Are you...watching…?"

"I've been watching you ever since the television got hacked by the Faceless Organization. They've got every major news channel streaming it. I…" He wasn't sure what to say.

"Mom and Dad...are they watching me?" I asked, worriedly. "Please...please tell me...they're not watching…"

...He...he didn't respond…

"Please, Attorney Steveston...no…" I shook my head. "Mr. Steveston, we're trapped in space. I...I'm scared shitless...I don't know _where_ in space it is...we're just...tossed somewhere in this void and...I…"

"Kozaki, listen to me." Mr. Steveston tried to assure me. "We already know. We've been searching for you for over a year. You're twenty years old now, did you know that? Missed your birthday, but we celebrated it anyway! We...we...we're looking damn hard for you. We're going to bring you home, I-I swear on my life you're going to come home..."

"...Mr. Steveston...I'm...I'm so sorry…" I gulped. "If...If I just went to see Mrs. Loric, I…"

"...It's not quite like that, Kozaki. We found plans left behind by the organization…" Mr. Steveston informed me. "They were targeting you from the start. They were just looking for the right time to…"

"...Why?" My hand squeezed the cellphone.

"...We don't know. But...all of the kidnappings were calculated. Some of them were clearly to gain global attention." Mr. Steveston paused for a moment. "One of the boys with you, the fashion designer, he has quite the following in Europe...needless to say there are many eyes on him…"

...Was this why Weise was crying earlier? Did he find out about this...or…was it something else…?

"...What's Zepto? Do you know? The...the program that apparently I'm not fitting in to…?" I didn't really expect an answer from him, but...I wish _someone_ could tell me…

"No clue. I would be...very careful." He replied. "There are no cameras in your dorm rooms, neither in the observatory. Whatever happens to you and those other friends of yours during the night in those places, we can't see it…"

"...Can I...ask you something personal?" I looked to the side for a moment, then facing forwards again. "About Mom...did she tell you...what she wanted to tell me? Before...before I was taken away..."

"She did." He replied, simply.

"...Can you tell me, please?" I gulped.

He was silent for a moment. "...You have to promise me something first."

"Alright." I nodded.

"No, seriously. Kozaki...what I'm going to tell you...it's something that can be used to hurt you. I don't want you to be weakened by this. Please...promise me...no matter what."

"Promise you...what?" I blinked.

"Swear to me, Kozaki Daisuke. _Swear to me that you will never kill anyone._ "

I looked down for a moment. Was it something...that Monobotto would use as...a motive for me?

"I swear. I'll never kill anyone here. I'm going to stop this...or...die trying." I closed my eyes. "Please...what did Mom want to tell me?"

"...You're a big brother."

Just like that, the call ended.

...Wh...what?

…

 **What?**

"Oopsie-doopsie. Looks-like-you-are-out-of-time." Monobotto rolled over to the door and opened it. "The-exit-is-this-way."

I walked out slowly, feeling my head.

I...I...what?

"Kozaki? Your...your face...it's pale…" Anne felt at her apron, worriedly. "Is...everything okay?"

I slowly shook my head, ignoring the question. I quickly ran over to Weise's room, trying to run away from what I heard.

...I'm twenty years old now...and a big brother…

...And...I missed all of this...I missed out on these important memories with my family…

...How many more memories will I miss?

And...how many bad memories are being made right now?

They're...they're watching me...Mom and Dad…

...Please...stop watching me...I don't want you to be worried for me. Please...please…

I...I…

Twenty…twenty…

I…

B-Brother, I...I can't…

I don't…

Mom...Dad…

…

Help me…

…

Get it together, Kozaki.

…

There's someone who needs help right now...atleast I could make sure he's okay…

...And...stop thinking about myself…

…

I stopped to see Riko and Kyohi sitting outside Weise's room.

"Kozaki, there you are." Riko slowly stood up. "He's been crying in there for quite some time, and he won't let us into his room. I'm...I'm really worried for him…"

I slowly shook my head. "...We...we need to give him space, right now...I…"

"Do you know why he's upset?" Kyohi stood up, looking worriedly. "He's...so darn sad! I want to help him!"

"He's…under too much pressure, and...I think he was reminded of that." I took a seat on the steps. "Weise is a fashion designer, right? The person I spoke to told me he's known all over Europe. If people are watching us right now...wouldn't you be terrified to hear a majority of the viewers could be watching... _just to see you?_ "

"...Poor Weise…" Riko held her hands together and looked down. "I...I understand now, Kozaki."

Kyohi and Riko slowly walked away from the door.

"Over dinner, we'll see if he will come out. Is that okay?" Kyohi looked back to the door. "He's going to be hungry otherwise…"

"We can try." I slowly climbed back upstairs. "...But...Do not force him. Right now...the last thing he needs is more pressure."

"...You seem to know a lot about this." Riko followed me upstairs. "Have you dealt with these kinds of things before?"

"...You could say it like this." I shrugged, feeling at my forehead. "I think...I need some time alone after what I just heard."

"Your call." Riko looked worried. "You are a little...more tense than usual. Is everything okay?"

I slowly shook my head and opened the door of my room. I turned back to Riko and Kyohi. "Let's...just say...I missed my twentieth birthday with my parents, and now I'm a big brother. And...did I mention my parents are watching me? Haha...hah..." I squeezed the doorknob.

Riko covered her mouth in surprise while Kyohi grew saddened.

"...No. I'm not okay." I bit my lip, starting to tear up. "I...I'll skip out on dinner, if that's fine with you. I need to sleep now."

Riko reached over to me, taking one of my hands and squeezing it gently. "Yes...you clearly need to rest after hearing this. Don't...don't be afraid to talk to us later, okay?"

"...Okay." I slowly pulled away, stepping inside. "Goodnight."

With that, I closed the door.

* * *

I changed into my pajamas and again skipped out on brushing my teeth. Oh well, I'll just do it tomorrow morning.

…

I feel like shit...the worst kind at that.

Twenty...I'm twenty...and…

I never had the chance to ask...who is this little sibling I now have?

Mom...Mom and Dad…

…

I can't...I can't shake this off…

Twenty...am I really twenty?

Do I really...have a younger sibling…?

I...I feel...hollow…

...

...Mr. Steveston's instructions were loud and clear.

"I swear...I will never...never kill anyone." I sat down on my bed. "I'd rather be offed by someone else than become the blackened, I mean it…"

A beep.

...Please don't tell me this is another message from that bucket of bolts…

I slowly pulled out my Bottolet to take a look.

...No. It's not from Monobotto. It's...from an unknown sender?

' _Did you get this message?'_

Looking around me for no reason, as I was alone in my room, I opened the message app.

' _Do not respond in texts, please. They will track us if you do.'_

I blinked, scratching the back of my head. "Wh...what…?"

'We are watching you, right now. Just respond as if you were talking to us, alright? We finally were able to get in contact with you by utilizing the coding of the conference stream you had with your attorney...'

Wh...who is messaging me right now? It's...not someone trying to fuck with me, is it?

...How can they even hear me? I thought that...there were no cameras in the dorms.

...The Bottolet does have a microphone, but...this isn't a call...

"...Who are you?" I frowned. "How are you talking to me?"

' _Ah, I can't tell you my name. Otherwise they will know I'm trying to help you. As I said, you were able to open up a bridge for us to contact you. As you speak through your Bottolet, your voice passes through our own program so that this conversation will not be tracked. Do...do you understand that…? Ah...umm...perhaps that's a bit of a mouthful…Though, we really as looking to help you!'_

I looked away. "...Damn...I-I'm sorry, but I...don't know what to believe...how can I trust you?"

It took about two minutes before I got a response.

' _While it is perfectly reasonable for you to_ _ **deny it**_ _...sometimes you need to_ _ **believe it**_ _.'_

"Heh...believe it? Just like that?" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Sorry...it's a little hard...especially in a place like this."

' _Fifty-four, we're currently trying to find your location. Using the various news reports from your kidnappings and the history of this cult, we'll try to pinpoint where you are to rescue you.'_

"...Fifty-four…? Is that supposed to be me?" I blinked.

' _Yes. If you'd like, please call me Fifty-three.'_

"...Fifty-three...alright." I looked to the side. "Well, Fifty-three, please hurry the fuck up before someone dies again."

' _...You sure are a fiery one, aren't you?'_

"Oh yeah, I get that one a lot." I sighed and laid down on my bed. "So tell me, Fifty-three. What do you know about me?"

' _Your name is Kozaki Daisuke. You come from a low-income family. You've been arrested seven times on account of arson.'_

"How about something that isn't statistical. Something...something personal. Maybe...maybe how I _feel_ about things." I sighed. "...Though...I guess they could've dug those memories out of my brain to write down in whatever clipboard, anyways…"

Three minutes of no response. Then…

' _You were eleven years old when you were traumatized by a bonfire incident which greatly harmed your best friend and your pet dog. You felt socially isolated, you lived in fear for the future. But you turned down outside help because you didn't want others to be 'troubled' by you. You were wishing for a change of pace in life, and now...regret that wish, given where you are now.'_

"...Damn, Fifty-three." I chuckled. "Maybe...I'll _try_ to believe you. Though, I will be pretty pissed if you're just trying to manipulate me."

' _You sure are an interesting person to speak with, Fifty-four. The others warned me about your aggressive nature, but...I think you're quite…'you.'''_

"Jeeze, thanks." I rolled my eyes. "And I'm...supposed to feel reassured by that?"

' _...Yes?'_

"Thanks." I looked upwards, towards the ceiling. "...I'm...pretty damn tired. If it's alright with you, Fifty-three, I'm...going to sleep."

' _Alright. We'll keep working to find you.'_

"Do me a favor. Hurry the fuck up, please." I smiled.

' _We're on it. Take care, Fifty-four. I hope to speak with you again soon.'_

I got under the blankets and sighed, wondering who this new person was that introduced him or herself into my life. Fifty-three, I sure as hell hope you're a friend.

...Fifty-three. What a strange name…

I sure do wish I could have faith in this...

Well…

...Don't know if I will be able to sleep, but...I think that's all I can do for now.

* * *

~Chapter Two, Daily Life One, End~


	9. If we Could Only Fly Daily Life 2

"...Steady, steady…"

...What…?

"Idiot, don't do it so fast! You'll wake up Number One _again_. Be more careful."

"S-Sorry. I'll slow it down."

...It's...that...that voice…

I've heard that voice before…

...That idiot…

"Leave him here for now. Number Seven just came in. It was damn hard to knock him out, I tell you. He sure was fighting back hard, more than yesterday. I almost feel bad for the kid...almost."

I heard the sound of a door closing.

...Now...now's my chance…

I clenched my wrists, trying to wake my body up. It...sort of worked. I was able to open my eyes, though...it was hard to move.

...Probably because of those drugs they've been giving me…

...Come on, I...gotta move…

Get...up…

I slowly managed to sit upright. I was on top of some sort of hospital bed in...some kind of lab.

...There was an IV in my arm, the sleeve of my pajama rolled up. They were...giving something to my body.

…

I didn't want anything to do with that. I looked over to my arm to see the bandaging holding the needle in place. Slowly, I unpeeled the bandaging and gripped the needle, pulling it out.

...I have to get out of here before they find me. Find a way back to the others before they block off these memories…

Climbing off the bed, I walked over to the door with my body shaking. What were they doing to me? What...what was that stuff?

... _Desparica-Thylemine._ That was the only thing that came to mind. I remembered that crazy cultist mention it a few times.

I could...remember that. Is it...that when I come here, my memories are freed?

...I have to try...to remember…

 _D...Dan...Dangan..._

...Not now, I have to get out first.

Pushing the door open, I looked both ways to see endless halls to either side. Fantastic...where do I go from here?

The room I was in was labeled _OS-1._ Don't know what it meant, but I didn't care either. I had to get out of here.

But...the others...surely they're somewhere around as well. I need to find them, too…

Where...where do I look?

...Doesn't matter right now...as long as...I'm going somewhere…

I stumbled through the hall to the left, looking to...find something. But...regardless of wherever I walked, everything looked the same.

There's...there's gotta...be some way out…

How much farther do I have to walk?

What if they spot me...I…

...No, no...I have to keep going...I have to get out…

I...don't think I've ever...felt so _selfish_ before. I wanted to help Fraize and the others, but...for some reason, I...I was only thinking of myself…

...And...for some reason...I didn't feel guilt for it…

I felt unlike myself, but...I couldn't tell why…I just...couldn't stop thinking about how _I_ wanted to get out…

I stopped for a moment, leaning against one of the many white-painted walls. Slowly, I felt my right temple. I...still don't know what they've done with me. But...I was certain...these feelings were being caused by them.

...Snap out of it, Kozaki. You're better than this. You're...not their puppet...don't let them control you…

"There he is!"

I looked over to see several masked people running towards me from down the hall. Panicked, I began to sprint to the best of my ability.

I...was pathetic...stumbling all over the place, my vision blurring and sharpening whenever it felt like doing so…

I wasn't going to outrun them…

Looking to the side, I grabbed one of the rolling racks and pushed it into their way to buy me some time. That's when I picked up a pair of scissors to defend myself.

The group, three cultists, approached me slowly. My hands were shaking as I raised the scissors.

"G...Get...a...away…" I stepped back, slowly. "I...I'll…"

I was grabbed from behind by two other cultists.

...No...not this time...I won't let them!

I...I don't know what went on in my mind, what...took control of me. I took the scissors and stabbed one of them in the arm violently, causing he or she to release me. I kicked the second one in the chest, knocking him or her over.

"I'm...warning you…" I pointed to the others with my scissors. "Get...away...from me!"

One of the cultists stepped back to speak into an earpiece. "We need backup in hall forty eight B. Number One is responding with violence...it's working."

More cultists came from behind. I...I didn't know what was going on, but...it was like this wasn't my first fight. I snapped the scissors in half and used both pieces like small knives, fighting back aggressively. I hurt...I hurt people.

...What...what am I doing…?

I stopped, my shaking hands dropping the scissor pieces. This...this is wrong...I…

A cultist tackled me, pulling my arms behind my back and pinning me to the ground. "I got him, I got him. He's down. Hurry up."

One cultist used his or her fingers to force my right eye open, examining it. "...Change in color...yes, it's working better than we expected."

"Good, good. Quick, then. Knock him out." Another cultist spoke.

It took three cultists to straighten my arm out and roll up the sleeve. I fought with everything I had, but...it wasn't enough. The needle went in, and I...went out...

* * *

Morning bell…

...Uhg. Why…

Just...just five more minutes…

...Five hours would be nice, too…

...Damn. I should brush my teeth now, huh?

Take another shower…

…

Why...why do I feel...scared? I…

I slowly sat up, feeling at my head. Something...something didn't feel right...I…

...Of course, I couldn't remember anything again...

Damn it…

...Not now, I...I have things to do.

I gathered my cleaning items and walked into the men's bathroom. The shower was in use, someone singing to themselves…

Fraize…?

I decided to wait by brushing my teeth. It would have to be done sooner or later...unless I wanted them to rot.

I looked at myself in the mirror, unsure of...who was looking back at me. I...I just didn't feel right today. Something...something…

Eyes...eyes…?

Someone said...something about my eyes?

Leaning in closer, I examined them carefully.

...No...my eyes are...just fine.

...It...had to have been some kind of nightmare, and...I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Well...that's what I wished for, anyway...

Fraize stepped out of the shower, surprised to see me. "A-Amigo?"

"Hey." I chuckled, awkwardly. "I...need to take a shower."

"Ah...right. Lo siento." He stepped out of the way.

"Thank you." I walked towards the shower, but stopped. I looked him in the eyes for a while.

...Eyes...eyes…

No...his eyes were fine as well.

"A-Amigo?" He looked to the side, blushing a little. "I-Is...there una problema?"

"Ah, sorry!" I looked away, trying to explain myself. "I...had a nightmare...I wanted to make sure you were okay…"

Fraize looked to the side for a while, then shaking his head. "Kozaki, no pienso que these are just nightmares."

I looked down, holding my right arm. "...Do you really think so?"

Fraize slowly pointed to me. "...Es posible que...you're remembering the things…"

He couldn't finish his sentence, perhaps...terrified for me.

"...I...need to shower, now." I shook my head and quickly walked in, pulling the curtain behind me.

I took quite a long while with my shower. I wanted to just...wash the pain away.

...I still...can't wrap my mind around it.

Eyes...eyes…

...There's nothing wrong with me...there's...nothing wrong with me...I'm just...freaking out…

Come on, then. I should...think about something else!

...

Twenty years old…big brother…

Well...at least if I die, Mom and Dad won't be lonely…

…

I…am an idiot. I try to take my mind off worries by...worrying about other things. How pathetic could I be…?

…

I wonder...Fifty-three...who is this person? Should I try to find time to speak with him or her again today?

...Is this someone I can trust?

…

I want to get out of here, so...I suppose the only thing I can do is believe he or she will help us.

...

I need to hurry up with this shower. We have to visit the garden as a group. Breakfast...I can skip it.

Dressing up in my dorm room, I rubbed the towel through my hair to dry it. Guess I'll just...leave it messy.

I waited at the steps as the others slowly walked over from various places around the twisted space prison that was the Killing Odyssey. When the flow stopped, I noticed someone was missing.

...Weise.

"Is he still in his room?" I asked, worriedly.

Kyohi shook his head. "No. He's already there."

"Oh...I see…" I looked to the side. "Is he okay?"

Nobody really had an answer for that. Instead I was left to decide that for myself when I found him sitting down in front of their graves. He wasn't saying anything, just...sitting...staring…

...What happened to him in that call? He was usually so...well…

Vibrant, lively…

…

We all stood around in silence, just as yesterday. Riko slowly walked over to Weise and sat besides him, without an exchange of words.

"...Perhaps…" Ingreis looked to the side. "We should find something to...take his mind off this?"

Interesting to hear that come from Ingreis...maybe her loved one told her to be nice?

Haha...wishful thinking…

"What should we do?" Kyohi asked, looking over to Weise.

Ingreis sighed and walked over to the saddened fashion designer. Without giving him any warning, she picked him up and placed him onto her shoulders. "Come on then, little boy. We're going on a trip."

He seemed to be startled at first, but grew sullen and allowed for Ingreis to carry him wherever she desired.

I followed the figure skater with Riko and Tikari close behind. Seems the others just wanted to take some time to rest.

"Where do you think she's going?" Riko asked, looking ahead.

"No clue…" I sighed and shook my head. "But...I do find it strange for her."

"Thank you for your compliment." Ingreis sighed, turning back to me. "Anyway, we're here."

The Shift Rooms...what was she planning?

Ingreis scanned her Bottolet and opened the door to the room. Inside, an ice rink with an audience stand greeted us. The air was cool, but not cooling enough to be uncomfortable.

To the side were racks containing figure skates. Ingreis lowered Weise to the ground and crossed her arms. "What's your size?"

Weise blinked, his cheeks puffed nervously.

"...Your shoe size." Ingreis sighed.

"Trente-sept." He looked to the side.

...That's...because European shoe sizes are different, right?

...How big or small is that supposed to be?

Ingreis picked two pairs of ice skates from the nearby rack and had Weise sit down. She pulled off his shoes and gave him the skates.

"Oh, are you going on the ice? I'd love to join you!" Riko held her hands together.

"Do you skate, Riko?" Tikari asked, smiling.

Riko looked to the side, shaking her head lightly. "Ah...no, not professionally. I've been a few times with my family, but...it's really for fun only."

"Let's do it together, eh?" Tikari and Riko walked together over to the rack of ice skates.

Should I...Join them?

...Nah. I think it would be best for me to sit out and watch them, make sure I can get up and run if anything happens.

...Please tell me nothing will happen...please…

"Come on, then." Ingreis glided onto the ice. "This should help you feel better."

Timidly, Weise approached the ice. It seemed...he had never gone ice skating before.

"Want to hold our hands?" Riko offered, Tikari nodding in agreement.

Although he didn't respond verbally, he allowed for the two to take his hands and get on the ice. His legs wobbled, uncertain of what to do.

"You just gotta use your legs, like this." Tikari demonstrated.

The special educator made good use of her talent to try and give Weise some lessons in skating. However, he refused to let go of their hands. He seemed to be...afraid to be left to his own devices.

"Hey, Kozaki!" Riko called out to me. "Want to join us on the ice?"

Smiling lightly, I shook my head. "N-No thanks. I'd rather not make a fool out of myself…"

"Eh? Not even to cheer up Weise?" Tikari giggled, kneeling besides the fashion designer. She squished his cheeks with her hands, puffing them up. "Look, he wants to see another boy on the ice! Don't leave him alone!"

Weise's eyes sparkled as he looked over to me.

I sighed and slowly exited the bleachers. "I'll...try…"

...The ice skates were labeled with European shoe sizes. Great...what does an American size eight translate to here...?

I went through various sizes of skates, taking them on and off again in order to find a pair that best fit me. Finally deciding on the skates, I carefully stepped onto the ice.

I haven't gone skating in years, mostly because my family would rather save the money from the fees to pay for our electricity. I mean...I really...never wanted to go ice skating. Just...to make some nice memories…

"Go on then, Kozaki." Riko pushed Weise over to me. "Skate with him."

Weise's arms wobbled around as he slowly glided towards me. I carefully took his hands, I could feel his body shaking...he was certainly afraid of falling over.

"Hey, it's okay to fall down. I won't judge you." I nodded, warmly. "I mean, I'll probably fall on my ass without even trying."

He sighed and looked down, not saying anything.

"...Come on, then." I slowly began to skate on the rink, leading Weise around. "Just take some time to...clear your mind. Look at Ingreis go!"

Ingreis was quickly picking up speed, then performing a triple axel jump and landing on her right leg, gliding backwards.

"Wow…" Weise whispered, softly.

"We don't have to do tricks like that, but…" I smiled. "We can still glide around, if you want to."

He nodded slowly, squeezing my hand.

We picked up speed, him trying to match up with my pace. I held back to keep him comfortable, but...I wanted to go faster. I wanted...to really glide.

"Okay, Weise." I looked over to the fashion designer. "I'm going to let go of you now, okay? Try to skate over to Riko and Tikari."

He nodded with slight confidence, letting go of my hands. I watched him skate over to the girls, wobbling slightly. However...I think I was able to give him the confidence he needed to go the distance.

Meanwhile, I decided to really push myself. I wanted to know how fast I could go. I felt...quite unlike myself. Before, I would've probably hugged the walls of the ice rink. But...I...had this sudden confidence...and I couldn't explain it at all...

"You look like you're enjoying yourself, Kozaki." Ingreis skated besides me. "Have you done this before?"

"Well…" I looked over to her. "It's been a damn long time. I...enjoy it, though."

"I see. You look like you've got the knack for speed skating." She observed. "Perhaps you can show me what you've got? Hopefully...without tripping over yourself."

Speed skating?

"...Well...won't hurt to try." I chuckled, picking up the pace.

I found myself going faster and faster, the air blasting past my face as if a cold wind were grazing my cheeks. The speed...it was...wonderful…

I felt like I was alive. I felt like...I was flying through the air.

I started laughing. It wasn't funny, but...I couldn't help it. I was really...really alive, for the first time in forever.

I turned my body around to face the others. They...weren't smiling back. They were...worried?

"Kozaki, turn around!" Riko yelled out.

Though...I guess...I was going too fast. My body slammed against the wall of the rink, and I wiped out.

* * *

It was a cool Friday evening, and my family and I were skating together with Mikanne and his folks.

"Look, Mom! I'm gliding!" I giggled, pushing myself away from the wall of the ice rink.

"I see, sweety. Keep working hard, okay?" My mother turned back to speak with Mikanne's mother.

"Hey, Zaki!" Mikanne skated over to me. "You're not bad for this being your first time!"

I wobbled lightly, regaining my balance. "Do...do you think so?"

"Yeah! I had to skate with a chair my first time, but...you seem to be okay without one." Mikanne extended his hand to me. "Wanna skate with me?"

We were a couple of rascals on the ice, skidding around the rink. We raced each other, tried to pull off some cool tricks, all having good fun.

I slipped and fell over quite a few times, but I always wanted to stand up again and keep going.

"Hey, watch this!" Mikanne skated forwards, then hopped. He stumbled at the landing, but managed to maintain himself.

"That's cool, Mik." I smiled. "Though...I bet it's not as cool as this!"

I skated forward and hopped twice.

"Oh, I see what you're trying to say." Mikanne giggled and hopped three times.

We got so carried away with hopping, we bumped into our parents.

"Well...isn't this a nice surprise?" My mother turned around and knelt over. "Who's this little jumping bean?"

"It's me, Mom." I smiled.

My mother patted me on the head, stroking my hair gently. "I know, sweety."

While our mothers started to skate with us, in the background I heard my father speaking to his.

"Three year's notice, huh...and how long will you be gone for?" My father scratched his chin.

"I'm not sure...it sounds like the move will be permanent…" Mikanne's father replied.

My father sighed. "You're going quite far away, aren't you? Will you be able to visit us?"

His father shook his head. "I can't tell. Because of my job, I may never have a free day...but maybe Chisuki can bring Mikanne over for a visit?"

I wanted to know more about what they were discussing. Visiting us...for what? A three year's notice…

...Maybe they were just going on a really special vacation, one that they had to plan really far ahead?

"...Hey, Mik?" I looked over to my best friend. "Are you going on vacation?"

He looked over to me, surprised. "Vacation? Mom and Dad haven't said anything about that…"

"Your Dad said in three years you were going away…" I blinked. "And...you'll come back, right?"

Mikanne was confused. "I...didn't know it took three years to plan a vacation, Zaki…"

Our mothers exchanged worried glances.

"...Say, how about we go buy you some hot chocolate from the concession stand?" Mikanne's mother offered.

Mikanne and I dropped the subject of strange vacations immediately. Hopping up and down, our mothers lead us off the rink to buy our favorite winter drink.

* * *

"Hey, hey...easy now…"

...Ingreis?

I slowly opened my eyes to see what was going on. Looks like...she was escorting me off the rink.

"You really had me thinking you were just some...despair magnet, you know? But…" Ingreis smiled lightly. "That energy you had, for a moment…"

I looked over to her, feeling dizzy. This was...the first time Ingreis seemed to have a respectable opinion of me.

"You reminded me of Alestar." She nodded. "The one who...motivated me yesterday."

"Alestar?" I repeated his name.

Ingreis walked me all the way to the dining room, seeing as though Anne was just preparing to serve lunch. "Yes. My partner in skating."

"You figure skate with a partner?" I scratched the back of my head. "I always figured you were a solo kind of person…"

"Usually, though...it's a little different when I'm with Alestar." She looked to the side. "Although my abilities are ahead of his, he always has me learn something new. I respect him truly as my partner."

I took a seat at the table, nodding. "Ah...I see. Are you close?"

She nodded. "Quite so."

I took some time to chat with Ingreis while we waited for the others to join us at the table. Riko brought my shoes for me, to which I changed into with thanks. With everyone at the table, Anne served her dish of the day, steak roast with mashed potatoes.

"W-Wow, Anne!" Neizami smiled, tapping her fingertips together. "This is wonderful! I-I've never had steak, so thank you for introducing this to me!"

The dish...it reminded me of something my father would make whenever he would cook in American-styled cuisine.

"Thank you, Anne." I smiled, looking over to her. "It's awesome, really. It reminds me of home."

Anne smiled, taking a seat at the table. "Thank you, sweeties. I read some books in the library about American cuisine. I've yet to dive in to the style, so...it's a good learning experience!"

Everyone seemed to be quite chipper. Atleast, in their own right. Zraiko was chatting with Soro, it seemed they were working together on cracking the code of this space jail. Mest was...keeping to himself, but that was to be expected of him. Neizami and Tikari were chatting, I think...it was about their favorite movies. Mei was having a sip of tea, leaning back in her chair. Sayino was chatting with Kyohi, probably about more of her adventures in England.

…

Well...it seems not everyone was chipper. Weise was still...super gloomy. It seems not even the ice skating was able to make him feel better. Nor even Anne's food…

...Maybe...If I surrendered my hoodie, if I allowed him to make me new clothes as he wanted, would he...feel better?

...Idiot Kozaki...right now would be the worst time to ask him about fashion designing…

Come on, then. I just...need to take my mind off this. Let's see...Riko was chatting with Fraize, Monobotto was blocking the doorway…

…

 _Monobotto was blocking the doorway._

"Hello-there-you-fools." It slowly rolled into the room, closing the door behind it. "What-a-nice-meal-you-have-here. May-I-join-you-?"

"Uhh...how about... _no?"_ Soro frowned.

"Ha-ha-ha. Thank-goodness-today-is-opposite-day." Monobotto hopped onto one of the vacant chairs and helped itself with some of the potatoes.

...Grinding them in its mouth…

Anyone who was sitting around that bucket of bolts shifted their chairs at least a foot away in discomfort.

"What-a-wonderful-meal." Monobotto beeped, simply. "Reminds-me-of-the-time-I-presented-your-new-motive."

A pause.

"...You...didn't do that." Kyohi blinked.

"Fool. I-am-doing-it-right-now." Monobotto sprouted an arm and pointed to the hockey player. "This-show-needs-more-comedy. Do-not-question-me."

"...But you said today was opposite day." Sayino frowned lightly. "...So you better not give us motives. You'd be damning yourself with your rubbish logic."

"That's right!" Tikari pointed at Monobotto. " _You_ declared it opposite day. So now you have to follow it, eh?"

Another pause.

"Opposite-day-is-cancelled. A-new-puzzle-has-been-set-up-for-you-fools. There-is-no-clue. Only-one-thing-is-needed." Monobotto pointed to me. "The-key."

I shook my head. "Sorry, but...no thanks. I'm not interested in going through that hell again."

"Boo-hoo. What-a-total-shame. You-must-be-tonight's-biggest-fool. Congratulations-to-you-Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto turned away.

"...Fuck you, too." I glared at the mechanical mayhem.

"It-will-have-an-obstacle-course. The-prize-consists-of-a-random-selection-of-your-precious-items…"

...Oh shit...I really, _really_ hope nobody does this puzzle…

Please...please don't let anyone find my flamethrower...

"The-Mono-shift-Room-features-a-utility-closet-for-the-next-forty-eight-hours. Feel-free-to-do-whatever-your-heart-desires-with-that." Monobotto retracted its arm. "And-now-I-shall-discuss-the-motive."

We all showed great displeasure in hearing that news…

"Well. Actually. There-is-no-need-to-discuss-it-for-now. I-have-to-set-it-up-first." It beeped.

"...So you don't have a motive, then?" Soro chuckled. "You can fuck off then, right?"

"Fool. I-do-have-the-motive-ready. _You_ -are-not-ready-yet." Monobotto sprouted an arm, holding a strange object. "Though-soon-you-will-be."

Mest quickly stood up. "...That's a bomb."

Alarm sweeping through the group, we all attempted to get as far away from that crazy robot as we could.

"You-fools. It-is-not-a-bomb-that-will-kill-you." Monobotto threw it over to us. "Just-a-little-toy-of-mine."

The bomb clanged against my right shoe, starting to beep. There was a harsh hissing noise that could be heard around the room.

...Sleeping gas.

"See-you-once-you-awake-you-fools." The bucket of bolts taunted us.

I stumbled, covering my face with my hands. That didn't do shit, though. I felt myself fall over as I lost consciousness.

* * *

"Hey, Kozaki. How was school today?" My mother asked, greeting me at the door.

I slowly took off my backpack, scratching the back of my head. "It...was...interesting, Mom…"

"Interesting?" She raised an eyebrow.

Walking over to the dining table, I picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and took a bite. "Yeah...really interesting."

Joining me at the table, my mother looked to hear more about it. "Do tell."

"A _lot_ of girls were getting super...excited?" I looked to the side.

My mother seemed to be...shocked by the way I worded my sentence. "W-What?"

"I mean…" I looked back to my mother. "A lot of them were wearing these new...designer brooches. They're all handmade, imported...that's what I heard them say. From...from France." I then crossed my arms. "The designer, he's apparently only fourteen! How does a fourteen-year-old have his own fashion line?!"

"...Ah...I know who you're talking about." My mother stood up to get some food from the fridge. "Well, I guess...that's just how the world is, Kozaki."

"He doesn't even go to school, Mom! He's already probably got like...a-fuckin-billion dollars in his bank account!" I groaned. "Here I am, a seventeen-year-old junior in highschool, and I _still_ don't know what I'm doing with my life!"

"Shh...it's okay, sweety." My mother walked over, handing me a plate with a slice of apple pie. "Here, I saved the last slice just like you asked. Want me to get you some ice cream?"

"...Yes, please." I sighed, looking down.

While my mother walked to the freezer, I closed my eyes to think.

…

I was feeling a lot of things. A failure was one of them. What did I have to say that I've achieved in my life besides...well...a long record full of all the times I've burnt shit down?

Determination was another. I wanted to push myself to...to do something good. Even if it was one small thing...I'd rather have people recognize me for something besides my...well...habits…

The last feeling...was jealousy. It's not like that kid has to deal with any of the weight I have. I bet whoever this 'Vayrne' kid is...he's having the time of his life.

…

No...I shouldn't think that way. After all...I've heard time and time again that even celebrities have their own things to worry about.

Maybe...maybe he creates all his stuff...to create good out of whatever negative emotions he feels?

…

Heh. I'll never know. If a time ever came where I would meet him, I'd ask him.

…

Like that's ever gonna happen...

* * *

...

...Nhg…

I slowly opened my eyes, looking around. I found myself in my dorm room, leaning against the wall.

What...what happened?

Motive...something about a motive…

I tried to stand up, but...a weight held me back. I looked to the direction where the tug was coming from to see...it wasn't just a weight.

It...was Weise, handcuffed to me. He was still asleep.

I sat back down, gently shaking him. "Hey...hey. Wake up."

"...Huh?" He rubbed his eyes, yawning. He blinked a few times once he realized I was next to him. "...Kozaki? What...what's going on?"

"Not sure...but…" I looked to the handcuffs. "...Seems like whatever motive this is...we're partners for now."

Weise seemed to be pale, turning away.

"...Hey, don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you." I tried to be reassuring.

He didn't respond.

"...Weise, come on. Talk to me, please." I motioned to the cuffs. "I'm not going anywhere."

He sighed and looked up to me. "I'm...sorry, Kozaki. I'm just…"

I tried to give him a shoulder hug to try and relax him, but the handcuffs didn't quite allow for that. Instead, I used my free arm to awkwardly hug him. "You can talk to me, okay? I promise you...if anyone tries to hurt you with whatever motive this is, _**I'll protect you."**_

"Je vous remercie…" He looked down.

…

You know...I find it strange how I'm beginning to understand what Weise is saying.

In the case of Fraize and Mei, I did have previous experience with Spanish.

...But French? No...I've never touched it before.

So why can I...understand what Weise is telling me in French?

…

It's...those drugs...I can't reason anything else to be the cause.

…

Not now. I can think about this later, when I talk to Fifty-three again. For now...

"...Should we go outside?" I looked over to him.

He shook his head, looking away. "Je...I can't..."

I patted him on the shoulder with my free hand. "...I get it. You don't want to see anyone die, right?"

He nodded, silently.

"...Handcuffs aren't going to make anybody kill someone." I shook my head. "Not unless they were an idiot. Anyway...please cheer up."

He looked back up to me, still without a word.

"So...let's go out, okay?" I slowly stood up.

...Weise didn't stand up. He hugged his knees, shaking his head.

"...I can physically pull you with me." I teased him.

"...S'il vous plaît...let me...stay for a little…" Weise looked back to me.

I slowly sat back down. "This isn't like you. Just a few days ago you were the one who...broke my shell open. You pulled off my hood and...you made me realize I can't just keep to myself here. And...You're always so prideful! What happened, then? Was it...the call you had with your father?"

...It seems I hit the nail on the head. He nodded, gulping.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, trying to offer him a vent. "I won't judge, I promise."

The fashion designer looked down once more. "...D'accord…"

"...So...are you upset because you didn't speak with your mentor?" I asked him.

"Eh bien...Father...he's watching me. He heard me say I wanted to speak with my mentor more and...était très par ca" Weise hugged himself. "And...he told me...everyone in Paris is watching me...toutes les personnes...focused on me...and maybe even more people. _Maybe even all of Europe is watching me_...and...I…"

Seems like it was just as I theorized…

"But...that's not all…" Weise began to tear up. "Father told me...six weeks after I was taken...Mother...she…succumbed to her disease..."

"...Weise…" I didn't know what to say.

"And...and...I know I didn't spend...much time with my parents...but...I…" He covered his face. "I still...love them...and now...Mother is…"

I pulled him in for a tight hug, trying to provide some sort of comfort. "Your father told you he loved you...right?"

He nodded, slowly. "Father...he is wearing my other pin."

"...Other pin?" I asked, looking to him.

He pointed to the pin that was clipped to the left flap of his vest. "When...ces gens took me, they a-arraché the pin that matched with this one...and they...clipped it to the calling card they left behind…"

...He could remember that? How was this possible?

...It's good. We need more of us to remember...as much as possible…

"Father told me I'm his shining star. Oui...I know he loves me. He just...doesn't show it openly very often." He sighed, looking down.

I patted him on the shoulder gently. "...And is there anything else your father told you?"

"...He told me...a lot of the people watching…" Weise's voice began to shake, he sounded horrified. "...W...Want me to... _ **to tuer someone**_...to escape…" He hugged me, tightly. "Kozaki...I...I don't want to…"

...This was just what I feared...that our _audience_ …would be entertained by this sick game.

I...I know what this is...but...why can't I...just hold on to the memory for more than one second…?

"Shh...it's okay. Calm down." I leaned back, closing my eyes. Here I was, being shocked about having a new life added to my family. Meanwhile Weise...was heartbroken to hear a life was taken away from his family…

We hugged in silence for quite some time. I vowed that I would protect him, and that...I would consider him making me some new clothes.

After all...I was still wearing the same ripped ones from the puzzle room. Didn't have any others, so...it would be nice to have another outfit to wear.

He smiled lightly and shook his head. "Non, Kozaki...it was rude of me to judge your outfit like such. I'll patch it up for you. It will be on me, my friend."

We stepped out of the room to find the others all sitting at the Grand Staircase. Seeing they were all seated, we did the same. Monobotto was rolling around all across the bottom floor of the dormitory, in its usual twistedly excited manner.

"Now-this-is-quite-exciting. I-hope-you-are-happy-with-your-partner. You-may-just-end-up-being-with-them-until-you-die."

"Care to explain?" Zraiko frowned, adjusting his glasses. It seems he was handcuffed to Mest.

"It-is-simple." Monobotto ceased its rolling, focusing on us. "You-fools-will-remain-handcuffed-until-someone-dies."

There was a large wave of nervous energy across the room.

"...That's it?" Soro shrugged. "I think I'll be just fine. Neizami is really nice, so...no problems here."

"You-will-have-to-shower-with-your-partner. Go-to-the-bathroom-with-your-partner. Sleep-with-your-partner." Monobotto spun around once, slowly. "And-you-are-alright-with-that-?"

Neizami felt at her scarf, embarrassed. Soro twisted his cap to hide his eyes, seeming to hide his shame.

Boy, was I glad I already showered before this. That could be a problem for another day.

...Why was Weise looking so...worried?

"If-you-need-more-of-a-reason-to-visit-the-puzzle-room," Monobotto started to roll away. "I-will-leave-a-clue-to-how-you-may-escape. That-is-if-you-fools-are-competent-enough-to-do-so." With that, it left us in the dust.

…

I took a moment to look at the remaining pairs. Riko was cuffed to Ingreis, Fraize to Sayino, Mei to Anne, and Tikari to Kyohi.

"This is...quite the predicament we've found ourselves in, eh?" Tikari looked to the side, sighing.

"There's no rule saying we can't try to take them off!" Sayino stood up, pumping her right fist into the air.

This caused Fraize to fall over, as he had his left hand cuffed to her right hand.

She looked over to him, quickly lowering her arm. This caused him to fall down...in the other direction. "O-Oh, I'm sorry!"

"N...No...problemo…" Fraize rubbed his rear, wincing in pain.

Mest felt at his forehead. "...While it is true there is not a rule to prevent us from trying, I...suspect it is because these are… 'impossible' to take off."

"Nonsense." Soro startled to fiddle with his cuffs. "We just have to...pick them the right way."

"Umm...if you don't mind me saying…" Kyohi raised his hand. "These...look nothing like regular handcuffs."

Kyohi was right. They were far more futuristic for being just a plain set of handcuffs. Coated in some special glaze, there was no way to jam into them. I grabbed onto the cuffs with my free hand and attempted to wiggle free, only for a sharp pain to cause me to let go.

"K-Kozaki?" Riko looked to me with worry.

I could see a thin stream of blood slip from my wrist. I quickly had to look away, as it was bringing back bad memories. "...These must be like the bracelets. There's a needle in my wrist...I guess it's laced with something to numb the pain so I can't... _feel it in me.._."

"T-They won't poison us, will they?" Neizami twiddled her fingertips.

"That would be muy sucio of Monobotto." Mei frowned, tugging against her handcuffs.

Anne looked to her partner with worry. "M-Mei, please...don't tug on it so much…"

"...Lo siento, Kimidori." The vigilante sighed, having to relax herself to keep her partner calm. Seems that Mei isn't used to...being close to people. I figured as much for a lone wolf such as herself.

"Let's...have some dinner!" Anne slowly stood up. "I'll go and cook us...uhh…" She looked to Mei. "...W-Well…"

Sighing, Mei stood up and brushed her jacket. "...Puedo ayudar."

"...C-Chicken!" Anne nodded, not understanding what Mei said. She felt at her apron, trying to think up a recipe that Mei would help with. "W-With...seasoning...a-and a garnish! I'll...look in the fridge...s-see you later!"

With that, Anne lead Mei towards the kitchen. I guess...Mei's aura was making Anne very nervous...poor girl…

Now then...what would we do in the meantime?

I looked up as I noticed Ingreis and Riko standing in front of me.

"Kozaki...could we...umm…" Riko held her hands together, nervously. "...Take your key?"

I blinked, her words flying over my head. "...Huh?"

"For the Puzzle Room." Ingreis crossed her arms and nodded. "If you would please hand it over-"

"W-W-Wait!" I pointed at them. "Y-You... _want_ to go to the Puzzle Room?!"

"...Yes." Riko looked down. "We have decided on this together."

Weise gulped, looking away. It seems...he had the same fear I did.

"No, no. Absolutely not!" I frowned. "That room is only going to cause us more trouble!"

Ingreis sighed and shook her head. "Unlike yourself, Riko and I are not going to scrape through by the skin of our teeth."

"R-Riko...you...you can't be serious." I looked over to the clarinetist, almost...with desperation. "Why...why? After all that happened…"

She looked me in the eyes. "...I want to help us escape, too. Now it's my turn to...do my part." She pumped a fist, though...gently. "I...I'm going to take a turn now, so that you won't have to put yourself there again, okay?"

I turned to Ingreis. "Are you making her come?!"

Ingreis frowned and shook her head. "Give the girl some more credit, Kozaki. This was her idea."

Riko's...idea?

…

She...she really wants to go to the Puzzle Room?

...

Sighing, I looked down. "...Okay."

"Quoi?" Weise looked over to me, worriedly. "But...but…"

"Riko, I'll believe in you." I slowly stood up, making sure Weise would stand with me. "Just like...when you believed in me. Let me get you the key."

Stepping in my dorm, Weise's hand was shaking. "...Why, Kozaki? That place...it's only going to get more people killed! It's the reason why Yuuta and Kamiyaki died, non?!"

"I know, I know...but…" I took out the key from my drawer. "...Her mind is made up, just like mine was. I can only...believe in them now."

Weise looked away, worriedly.

"...Come on. Won't you...believe in them, too?" I turned to him.

"...Oui, I'd...very much like to believe in en eux." He looked back to me.

I nodded silently in return.

We walked out of my dorm where I handed Riko the key. She curtsied to me while Ingreis nodded, respectfully. With that, I watched as they descended the staircase and exit to the Right Wing.

"Hey, Weise." I looked over to the fashion designer. "Let's try to take your mind off this. How about...we go to the Shift Rooms?"

* * *

We arrived to the Shift Rooms to find Sayino swiping in. Fraize...seemed to be very nervous.

"Come on, pal! It'll be fine!" She took off the helmet from her shoulder and placed it on his head. "Hmm...it's a little big for you. Eh. You'll be fine! Come on."

"E-E-Espera, por favor!" Fraize gulped. "N-No quiero manejar-"

"I told you before, goober. I'm the one who will drive. Just reach your arms over me, and we won't have to worry about the handcuffs." She grinned, stepping inside.

Fraize shook his head, pale. "N-No, por favor! E-Esto no es seguro-!"

But...the motorcyclist ignored his pleas and dragged him inside.

"...Those two seem to be having fun." I chuckled. "I was thinking of going to your Shift Room, but...it looks like Zraiko and Mest took the other one. What should we do now?"

Weise puffed his cheeks in thought. "...Let's go watch Sayino and Fraize."

"Really?" I blinked. "Alright then...your call, buddy."

Checking to see if the room was unlocked, we both stepped inside. There was a large dirt track filled with obstacles. Looking ahead, I could see Sayino and Fraize riding on a motorcycle. Sayino was cheering while Fraize...was screaming in terror.

"Come on, show me your liveliness! Isn't this great?!" Sayino looked back to him.

"N-No!" He shook his head. "No! Quiero terminar-!"

"What's that?! I can't hear you over the sound of this _roaring motorcycle engine!_ "

Sayino accelerated, jumping off a huge dirt ramp and skidding the cycle to a halt. Chuckling, she shut off the bike and climbed off. "What did you think? Pretty great, huh?"

Fraize dropped to his knees, brushing the ground with his hands. He made it clear that it was quite the...terrifying experience.

"Oh, heya Kozaki! Heya, Weise." Sayino placed a hand on her waist as she turned to us. "Looking for a ride?"

"N...No thank you…" I looked over to Fraize, who seemed to be on the verge of puking.

"Aw shucks, alright." Sayino took the helmet off of Fraize and had it rest onto her shoulder once more. "What's up?"

"We were just stopping by, really. Have you already finished?" I felt at my right arm.

"Yeah...seems like our amigo here just isn't cut out for the...excitement I have to offer." She sighed, looking down to Fraize.

"...Yikes." I bit my lip.

Fraize slowly stood up, brushing off his clothes. "Lo siento…"

Weise slowly raised his hand. "U-Umm...could you tell me about your bike, Sayino?" His eyes twinkled. "T-That...that was vraiment cool, oui!"

Sayino grinned. "Boy, I wish you were my partner. Come here, I'll tell you all about my _real_ bike."

"You mean...your precious item, right?" I asked her, looking down.

"Yeah." She nodded, sitting on the ground. Fraize sat down next to her. Sayino closed her eyes, marvelling, "She's a beauty."

"...'She?'" I sat down as Weise did.

"Yeah, her name is Kassy." The motorcyclist grinned. "I could take her for a ride any day!"

Fraize and I exchanged glances upon hearing that. Fraize was blushing lightly, which...caused me to blush as well. Weise, however, was unphased. Seems it went right over his head...thankfully.

Sayino continued to tell us all about her...err...good times with Kassy. Roaring down the streets of Manchester. Her parents...not too pleased with her. After all...they were members of the parliament. Needless to say, Sayino was a delinquent to her family's expectations of her.

And oh boy...did she love riding her bike.

"You know. When I was still in highschool, that's when I discovered my love of bikes. My ex girlfriend, Mariatha, she and I went to see a competition. It looked so damn lively, I...I wanted to get my hands on it!" Sayino grinned. "And man, it felt...it just felt _right_."

"But...what about your parents? Were they accepting of this?" Weise looked up to her.

"...Nah." She shook her head. "Mum was horrified when she saw me walk in my own bike into the house. I was on a road they set up for me, to go and study law. But...well...I guess I turned myself into quite a mess, right?" She laughed, shaking her head. "Dyed my hair this crazy color, wearing these 'shameless' clothes. At least they were accepting of my venture out of the closet. Everything else...questionable."

"...Did you talk to your parents in the call yesterday?" I felt at my right arm. "Zraiko did ask for people to get in contact with the government…"

"Pfft, nah. I'm pretty sure that they disowned me." She sadly smiled. "There's no reason for them to be bothered over this...so, I talked to Mariatha instead. Even though we broke up, we've still managed to maintain a friendship. After all, sometimes we just...end up driving down different roads."

"I see...I wouldn't know…" I looked down with a sigh. "I...wouldn't know shit about someone being... _romantically interested_ in me…"

Fraize smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, amigo! Si tú quieres, yo…" He then looked to the side, pulling his hand away and shaking his head. "Err...actualmente yo...puedo…" He blushed, lightly.

"Umm...what are you saying?" Sayino looked to Fraize with an eyebrow raised.

"N-Nada." Fraize chuckled, shaking his head. "Lo siento."

...Why do I feel like...there's something he's trying to say with that…?

Weise tugged on my arm. "Kozaki, j'ai fam. Can we go eat dinner now?"

"...This isn't like a fancy restaurant with hundreds of chefs, Weise." I shook my head. "We need to wait for Anne and Mei to finish cooking first."

"Fancy restaurant?" Weise puffed his cheeks. "Non, non. I have a personal kitchen staff at home."

I blinked, looking to the side. "Oh...Oh...do you…?"

How much money does this fashion designer have?!

...It...sure would be nice to have all that money…

"Come on, then." Sayino stood up, smiling. Fraize had to stand up with her. The motorcyclist felt at her stomach. "I could really go for that chicken myself. Even if we're just waiting at the dining table, that's fine by me."

"A-Alright, then…" I stood up as well, with Weise having to keep in sync with me.

* * *

Dinner time was quite...awkward. My right hand is my dominant, so naturally I eat with it. Though...since I was handcuffed to Weise, I didn't want to constantly move his arm around while I would eat. Thus...I attempted to eat using my left hand.

...For some reason, my right arm was still moving around. I turned to see Weise was the reason for this. I suppose he is left-handed...and wouldn't be willing to try using his right hand. Sighing, I had no choice but to allow him to flop my arm around however he wished.

The chicken was juicy, filled with spices. Perhaps this was Mei's doing, as I know in Peru their cuisine can get a little... _caliente_.

...Riko and Ingreis, they...still aren't back from the Puzzle Room.

"Please, please let them be okay…" I sighed, looking down.

"What do you mean, amigo?" Fraize asked, looking over to me.

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "N-Nothing…"

"Come on, Kozaki. Spit it out." Sayino crossed her arms, looking over to me. "It doesn't end well whenever we keep secrets from each other."

"I...I really…" I looked down.

"Kozaki…"

I looked over to Mest. "H-Huh?"

"...Just tell us. It will save plenty of trouble." He crossed his arms.

"...Alright." I looked down. "Riko and Ingreis...I gave them the key to go into the Puzzle Room."

Neizami gulped, lowering her fork. "A-Are they going to be okay?"

"You didn't go to watch them and make sure they're alright?" Zraiko frowned, glaring at me.

"You let them go at all?!" Mei gritted her teeth. "Dunce-suke! That room es un lugar de muerte!"

"I-I'm sorry...I…" I gulped, closing my eyes.

"...He is believing in them. C'est ce qu'ils wanted, non?" Weise looked up to me. "So...we have to believe in them."

Zraiko rolled his eyes, skeptically adjusting his glasses. "That's...the most naive thing-"

Weise frowned, pointing right at Zraiko. "I said believe in them!"

Startled, the hacker dropped his glasses onto the floor. "...Fine." He reached down to pick them up.

"...So...they're going to find their precious items, right?" Tikari felt at her beanie.

"Logically speaking…" Zraiko sat upright, adjusting his glasses once more. "The items might just be a random selection.

"O-Oh…" The special educator looked down with a sigh. It seemed she really wanted to find the photograph of her class…

"...Hey, Kozaki. Out of curiosity but…" Neizami looked over to me. "Since you're not a jeweler, and the necklace you said you lost is actually the one you're wearing...Do you have a precious item?"

I felt at my necklace, unsure of what to say. "Well...I...don't know." I had to quickly come up with a lie. "Maybe...maybe it was a picture of me and my family? After all...I do really care for them…"

I don't know how long this lie would hold…

If they _do_ find my flamethrower...I'm going to be in a shit ton of trouble…

"I see…" Tikari smiled, nodding. "Even photographs can be precious items, eh? My class, for example...they're some of the sweetest children you could ever meet. They've made me a better person."

"Really?" I smiled, looking to hear her story.

"Yeah...back home in Montreal, I deal with children speaking English and French. Sometimes...exclusive for one of the two languages. Some of them have...err...actually, out of respect...it's best if I don't talk about it in detail, eh?" Tikari smiled, sadly. "But...they really are sweethearts. They taught me about...seeing the world in another person's eyes, you know…?" She looked down. "It's...quite incredible."

We had a momentary silence.

"Wow Tikari…" Kyohi smiled. "That sounds very sweet."

"Thank you…" She smiled, feeling at her heart. "I keep that photo with me to remind myself...of all the other people there are around us...so...I'll believe in Ingreis and Riko."

"...I suppose we'll see how it turns out tomorrow morning." Anne smiled, brushing her apron. "I do hope it went well."

"Sure it will. I-I believe so." Neizami smiled, nodding.

Zraiko raised his index finger, looking to say something on the contrary. However, Mest pushed his hand down, stopping him from doing so.

"...We'll meet up tomorrow morning, then." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "I'll be in my Shift Room tonight as well. See you then."

Mest didn't seem too keen on this...but...with a sigh, he nodded and walked with his partner out of the dining room.

"See you tomorrow, guys." Kyohi waved, exiting the dining room with Tikari. "We'll make it through this."

Dinner now finished, I took some time to think about...well... _this_ …

On one hand...we knew that a murder _now_ would be stupid. We can't allow ourselves to let some silly handcuffs drive us in that direction. But in the other hand…

...Monobotto won't accept this. It might even add the the motive to bend us over until we snap.

...We have to stay strong. We have to make sure we don't let history repeat itself.

We...we can't let another murder happen. We can't let there be even _one more trial, one more execution_. This...this has to end now.

I looked over to see Weise was tugging my arm. Dinner was over and...I was just...sitting there, staring off into the distance.

"Oh, sorry Weise." I stood up from the table. "You can lead the way. Will we be staying in your room?"

Weise walked me out of the dining room and down the Grand Staircase. It seems that was just his idea. We made a quick stop to his room where he...picked up a basket of towels and shampoo.

...Wait...

...Why...why is he leading me to the bathroom?

M-Maybe he just...needs to relieve himself, right?

...N-No, why would he get the basket?

Don't... _don't tell me..._

We stepped inside, Weise walking to the end of the room. He stopped suddenly, his hand was shaking.

"K-Kozaki…" Weise looked down, embarrassed. "I...I need to take a shower…"

...Oh no.

... _Oh no._

 _ **...Oh no.**_

"D-Do you really?" I gulped. "M-Maybe we could...err…"

"...Kozaki." Weise reached inside his coat pocket and handed me a sleeping mask. "Put this on, please."

"Y...You can't be serious…" I bit my lip.

"Oui, I am! I want to be married one day! Put it on!" He shoved it into my hands.

"H-How are you even going to take a shower?! We're handcuffed together! You...you can't take off your shirt because it will be stuck to my arm…" I looked to the side, uncomfortably.

"I'll just...slide it up into your arm. It will do just fine. Don't make me discuss this further!" He pointed at me. "Bandeau! Now!"

"B-But then I'd have to get in with-" I started.

"I said now!" He puffed his cheeks.

"Okay, okay!" I sighed, putting on the blindfold. "There, I can't see you."

"...Thank you." He replied, composing himself.

This was...probably the most awkward experience I've ever had in my life.

...At least Weise has a good taste in music. I heard him humming to some of the songs I liked.

Uhg...please just let this end…

After Weise finished his shower, he walked me out of the bathroom. In fact, he didn't let me take off the blindfold until he had finished sliding his clothes off my arm, putting them back on, and then drying his hair.

Taking off the blindfold, I looked around his room. Everything was absolutely spotless and in order. Seems he liked to keep everything neat and tidy.

It took awhile for us to brush our teeth, mostly because it was our dominant hands that were handcuffed. I had to crouch down at the sink because of our height difference, as otherwise I would've been making him fall over everytime I brushed my teeth back and forth.

With that finally taken care of, we headed back into his room.

"...So...uhh...how are we going to do this?" I felt at my right arm.

Weise blinked. "We could...share-"

"No, no, no!" I frowned, shaking my head. "I, too, would like to get married one day."

"Hnn…" He puffed his cheeks in thought.

I sighed, sitting on the floor. "It is decided. We'll sleep on the floor."

"Non, non! That's too uncomfortable!" He pouted, pointing to his bed. "I want to sleep on the bed!"

"Well I'm _not_ going to be keeping my arm raised up all night." I crossed my arms. "Have you never slept on the ground before? Not even to go camping?"

Weise blinked, twiddling his fingers. "N...Non...I've never gone camping…"

Sighing, I felt at my head. "Okay, okay. I have a plan. We'll...pretend we're camping. I'll make a little tent and it will be fine."

Setting up a makeshift tent using his blanket to cover the bed and nightstand, I sighed as I looked at...whatever monstrosity I had created. It looked nothing like what I was imagining, but...what can you do?

"There. Now it will be like we're just on...a camping trip. Come on, then." I kicked off my shoes and climbed under the blanket.

Weise looked around, hugging his knees. "Je vois...it is quite cramped here."

"Well, what can you do? These kinds of problems require...unique solutions." I sighed, laying down on the ground.

"...We can share the pi-" Weise offered.

"No, no!" I pointed to him. "You...keep the pillow. I'll manage just fine."

"Oh...alright…" Weise gave the pillow a quick hug before laying it into the ground. "...Good night, my friend."

"...Good night, Weise." I sighed, closing my eyes.

This motive was a lot more complicated than I originally anticipated...but still…

I'm perfectly fine with having to deal with this until we get rescued. I...don't know how long it will take, but...

...Seems like I'll have to talk to Fifty-three tomorrow. The question is, how? In front of Weise? Would Fifty-three even contact me at all because he's stuck with me?

…

I'll think about it in the morning, after I rest. Maybe if Weise doesn't wake up before me, I could try to speak with Fifty-three.

...

I hope...Riko and Ingreis will be alright. I know I should believe in them...but...I can't help but have some worries…

...I hope they'll be strong partners for the puzzle.

...

Uhg. Why was I paired with Weise anyway? Was this all done randomly or…

...Was this intentional…?

...

They won't...try to take me away tonight with Weise here, right?

R...Right…?

...I guess...I'm thinking too much again. There's no way they would come. They wouldn't risk it...I should really get to sleep...

* * *

...Cold...silence…

It's raining again…

Once more, I sit underneath the downpour. Alone once more...left to the mercy of the sirens around me.

There's no island to find here. Not one trace of sanctuary. Perhaps...this will be the day that I drown?

…

A person...I could see the outline of somebody heading towards me.

Reaching out to me...trying to save me from falling underwater once more.

The voice...slowly fading in and out…

Who…?

The sirens were surrounding me, but...the person ran past them, trying to reach me. More sirens...grabbing me, trying to pull me under the black water.

But the person...reached me. Grabbed my hands, pulled me out…

"Kozaki!"

...Who...who's there?

"Wh...What are they…? Attendez, I'll...I'll help you out of there!"

…?

Something...I felt something pull out of my arm...

"...W-Wake up, please…!"

…Huh…?

" _Please!_ Wake up, you have to!"

That...that voice…

...It's…

"There he is! Get him!"

I could hear...the sounds of a struggle. Someone...someone was trying to wake me.

...Someone was trying to...to free me...

"Kozaki! Please! Help me!"

"Damn it, this is why I said we should pair Number One and Three together! Why didn't you stick with the plan?! Now look what happened!"

"Who are you people?! L-Let go of me!"

It's…!

I opened my eyes, quickly sitting up.

The cultists...they were dragging him out of the room.

No...I have to...I have to stop them!

Climbing off whatever hospital bed I was on, I bolted after them. "S...Stop!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, One's awake!" One of the cultists yelled. "Someone knock him out!"

My eyes rapidly glancing around, looking for some kind of... _weapon_.

I picked up a utility knife and pointed it to them. "Let...let go of my partner!"

Without giving them time to react, I charged forward. I attacked them, one after the other. I...didn't hold back...

It...it's happening again...I…

"K...Kozaki…?" He looked at me, eyes wide.

...The cultists were still alive, just...bleeding. Bleeding, and hopefully...will stay that way.

He was quite...terrified. Perhaps because...I got a lot of stains on my hands…

"Your...your eyes are…" He pointed to me, hand shaking.

"Come on!" I took his hand, trying to lead him through...whatever the hell this place was…

"What's...what's going on?" He asked me, squeezing my hand.

I shook my head. "I...I don't know...we...we have to get out of here…"

Going through quite the large amount of hallways filled with twists and turns, we ran around a corner and stopped to catch our breaths.

"W...Wh…" His whole body was shaking. "What were they...doing to you?"

"...I don't…" I felt at my head. "...I don't know…"

"Is this happening to Fraize, Sayino, and Mei too? And...and aucun de vous ever remember?" He asked, terrified.

...Remember…

I placed my hands onto his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Please. You have to remember this. They keep blocking our memories...but you... _you can remember this._ Please, I'm begging you! Remember this! When I wake up...in this sick hell we're trapped in...tell me...!"

His eyes were tearing up.

"There you are!"

I turned around to see a group of cultists approaching. Raising the knife again, I turned back to him. "I made you a promise, remember? _**I promised I would protect you!**_ So please, promise me you'll remember this!"

"I...I…" He felt at his head.

The cultists started to charge forward.

I yelled out at the top of my lungs, " _ **WEISE, RUN!"**_

...And he did. He ran and ran, far out of sight. The cultists tackled me and…

...It was over…

* * *

~Chapter Two, Daily Life Two, End~


	10. If we Could Only Fly Daily Life 3

"Wake up, mon amie."

I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes. I could see Weise was gripping to my right arm, shaking it over and over.

Heh...guess I won't be able to speak with Fifty-three for now.

"...Woah there…" I sat up, yawning. "You're looking a little...excited to get up this morning, huh…?"

He let go of the sleeve of my hoodie, shaking his head. "Non...the morning bell rang."

"Ah, alright." I slowly laid down again. "Give me...hmm...ten minutes."

"T...Ten minutes?" He looked at me, surprised. "But we have to get ready for the day!"

"Heh...you're acting like you've never slept in before." I smiled.

That smile faded away when he continued to stare at me, still surprised.

"...Wait, wait." I slowly sat up. "You've never slept in before? Never, _never ever?_ Not even once?"

He slowly shook his head. "Non. Mes parents taught me to always be sharp to the clock."

"Oh yeah?" I crossed my arms. "Well...that sounds very…"

"Healthy?" He asked, blinking.

"No. Stupid." I shook my head, exiting the tent as Weise was leading me to do so. "You act like you never take time off for...yourself."

"...Eh bien...I've always been busy with things to do." He crossed his arms behind his back, looking down. "C'est...probablement the first time where I don't have my whole day already planned out for me…"

"Hmm...alright. If it makes you feel better, I'll let you control the schedule." I prepared to walk out of the room.

"...Wait." He tugged on my arm.

I turned around, confused. "What's the matter?"

Weise shook his head slowly, then looking back to me. "...I...rien. Just...had a nightmare last night."

"Are you feeling alright now?" I asked him, worriedly.

He glanced around, avoiding eye contact with me. "...Non."

"Well...you can tell me about it." I took a seat on the floor with him, trying to encourage him to open up. "What happened?"

"...You told me to remember." He felt at his head. "Mais j'ai forgotten...what I was supposed to remember?"

I blinked. "...Huh?"

"Kozaki...you told me, last night…" He looked me in the eyes. "...You told me to run away, and to remember qu'est-il arrivé. Do you remember that?"

I shook my head, slowly.

"It was scary." He shivered. "All I can remember is...there were so many masked people, and they were chasing us. You were trying to fight them off when you told me to run."

Unable to completely understand the situation, I pressed him for more information. "Where did you run to?"

"I didn't make it far…" He gulped. "J'ai caught and...they knocked me out."

I crossed my arms and looked to the side. "...They might've brought you to where Anne was."

"What do you mean?" Weise looked up.

I sighed. "Mei also has these… 'visits' at night. They might've separated her from Anne like you and I were. Possibly...keeping you asleep while they did their...whatever the hell they do…"

"...Why are they taking you away at night?" He asked, worriedly.

"Hah. Boy, do I wish I knew." I slowly stood up. "Something about not installing Zepto, or so I've heard. But they say I keep rejecting it so...I guess it'll never end."

"...Sont... _you_ okay?" Weise asked, twiddling his fingertips.

"Haha...fuck no." I sighed, standing up. "But...I haven't died yet, so...guess in a place like this, that's all that matters."

Weise stood up with me, looking to the side. "...Je suppose so…"

"There's nothing I can do about it. That's just...how it is...and damn, do I hate it." I turned to leave. "...Can you keep this between us?"

The fashion designer took a while to reply. "Shouldn't...shouldn't we stop keeping secrets? It only leads us to...to…"

"...Those secrets are different." I looked back to Weise. "I promise, this secret is something nobody needs to worry about. It doesn't affect them anyway. If a bunch of crazy cultists kill me, well...that's just how it will be…"

He looked me in the eyes, shaking his head. "...Non. I don't want that. You're my friend...I don't want you to die…"

Sighing, I gave Weise a quick hug. "And you are my friend as well, so...I want to protect you. Come on, then. Let's get ready and go eat breakfast."

"...Kozaki?" Weise looked down. "Do you think...Ingreis and Riko are bien?"

"Well...I believe in them. If something did go wrong...I'll fucking stab myself for letting it happen." I frowned, pointing at myself with my thumb.

"Non, non...please don't do that…" Weise was saddened. "I...I believe they are okay."

A short silence.

"...Let's go, Weise." I sighed, shaking my head. "...If there's anything more you want to tell me, do so."

"...C'etait effrayant, oui..." He closed his eyes. "I've never...seen that side of you before. And...the only thing that I can clearly remember is...your eyes. They were..."

I walked towards the door with another sigh, gently tugging Weise with me. "...Please, I...don't want to hear about it. Maybe ignorance is stupid, but…" I closed my eyes, holding my right arm. "...Ignorance is bliss."

Without another word, we exited his dorm room.

* * *

Breakfast filled me with a sigh of relief. Riko and Ingreis were back from the Puzzle Room, and they seemed to be unharmed.

"Kozaki!" Riko smiled, waving to me. "We did it!"

I wanted to run over to the pair to make sure they were alright, but...I didn't want to cause Weise to go flying behind me. "I'm...I'm really glad."

"Oh, Weise! We got something for you!" Riko eagerly reached over to the table. "I think you'll really like it!"

Weise's eyes went wide as he gasped. "T-That's my…!"

"Yup!" Riko smiled, handing Weise his precious item. "We found your sketchbook at the end of the puzzle!"

He hugged his book, starting to tear up. "T...Thank you tellement de…"

"We also found Soro's camera." Ingreis motioned to the cinematographer.

Soro was busy taking film shots of the breakfast gathering, sticking it into people's faces for the most part…

"There was one more thing we found, too." Riko motioned to Neizami.

"Ah, her art tablet." I smiled. "Good for her."

"I'm...sorry we didn't find your item, Kozaki. Those were the only three we got." Riko held her hands, sadly.

"Er…" I looked to the side. Perhaps...that was for the best. "Don't worry about it. I'm...sorry you and Ingreis didn't find your items either. After all, _you two_ were the ones doing the puzzle…"

Smiling lightly, Riko nodded politely. "Thank you, _Oh kind one._ "

"...'Oh kind one?'" I raised an eyebrow. "Please, I think you're at the wrong address with that title."

Riko smiled, rolling her eyes. "Alright then, Sir Ars-"

"No, no! On second thought, I like 'Oh kind one' just fine!" I waved my hands, nervously. If she called me 'Sir Arsonist' in front of everyone, I'd...be absolutely burnt to a crisp.

Specifically by Mei.

"...Sir Arse?" The vigilante sneered. "That's a good one. Though, you just can't replace Dunce-suke with that."

Embarrassed, I covered my face. "How...thoughtful of you…"

After things calmed down for the moment, I noticed Mest was sitting besides me at the table.

"Hey, Mest...why do you come down here with us if you never actually eat?" I pointed to Zraiko. "I mean, outside of being handcuffed...you always just sit and watch."

"...It's good to be kept in the know." He leaned back in his seat. "...I...take my dish with me to eat on my own anyways."

"...Is there a reason for that?" I blinked. "You could take your mask off and eat here. I won't judge if you do."

Mest shook his head. "No...it is...my private matter."

Zraiko adjusted his glasses, seems he was...uncomfortable over the topic of what's hiding beneath Mest's mask.

"Is it...some kind of deformity?" I blinked.

"Kozaki, show some respect." Zraiko glared at me.

Gulping, I looked away. "S-Sorry...I didn't mean to be a bother…"

With an awkward tension in the air, Weise tugged on my sleeve.

"What's the matter?" I looked over to him.

Cheerfully, the fashion designer showed me a sketch from his design book.

It was my outfit...but I suppose more...not like my outfit, and...like a tuxedo...somehow…?

...The more I looked at it, the more confused I got.

"Wow, Weise...that is uhh...unique." I nodded.

"...Do you j'aime ca, or...non?" He seemed to be worried by my reaction.

"Uhh...oui…?" I gulped.

He puffed his cheek. "Oui?"

"Oui oui." I nodded.

"...Oui oui oui." He looked back to his sketchbook. "...Non. It's wrong. I'm going to draw it again."

Sighing, I looked down. "...Understandable."

"...Well, everyone." Ingreis cleared her throat. "Riko and I also would like to tell you the clue we found, correct?"

Riko smiled. "That's right!" She unfolded a slip of paper and read it out loud. "If escape is what you seek, solve this riddle as follows…"

 _Five tokens of the New World walk among sealed walls._

 _The first, Defiance._

 _The second, Justice._

 _The third, Spirited._

 _The fourth, Visionary._

 _The fifth, Adventurous._

 _Would you surrender their lives for your own breaching, or give up yourself for their task beseeching?_

...What?

"...I'll be honest. Movie tropes are my thing, yeah?" Soro felt at his cap. "I got no damn idea. Maybe these are...items here?"

"Hey...t-that could be." Neizami nodded. "I-If each of these five things are meant to be symbolic of o-our precious items…"

"Then...let's see!" Anne smiled. "I think we can knock one out right away. Mei's gun, wouldn't that be justice?"

"...I think that's more...about defiance, eh?" Tikari felt at her beanie.

"Pero...a vigilante defines que es justo." Fraize crossed his arms. "Mei defines her justice."

"...How about the other four?" Kyohi asked, swinging his legs.

"Don't know…" Sayino crossed her arms. "I damn bet Neizami is one of them. The visionary. Her talent is all about art."

Neizami looked to her tablet. "B-But...I don't want to give up my tablet. N-Not...not when I just got it b-back…"

A short silence.

"...Hey. Maybe we should take some time to rest before we really turn our brains on?" Riko smiled. "See, Ingreis and I were talking a lot last night."

"Would you all like to watch us skate the rink?" The figure skater smiled with pride. "Surely it will inspire you. At the very least it will put my ego on display."

...She wasn't even ashamed to admit it.

"Oui, j'aimerais regarder." Weise smiled. "Oh, Kozaki! Come on, please. Let's watch them!"

"W-Why are you asking for my approval?" I gulped. "I mean...sure we could, I just-"

"Let's all watch, eh?" Tikari smiled, taking a bite of her muffin.

"I-It will give us the emotional m-momentum we need r-right now." Neizami tapped her fingertips together.

"Sounds like she's looking to put on a show for the whole TV audience or...whoever the hell is watching us." Soro felt at his cap.

"It could be a good idea, though! If the audience gets to know us better, they would want to help us instead of watching a killing game, eh?" Tikari defended the figure skater.

"Perhaps...Alestar will see me." Ingreis smiled, dreamily.

A short silence.

"...Let's go see Yuuta and Kamiyaki." Riko nodded, solemnly. "And then...make our plans for today."

And visit them we did. We were feeling more hopeful than yesterday, trying to believe in our wish to have not one single death added to the count.

"Riko and I will spend today preparing for the show, then." Ingreis nodded. "Soro, I want you to join us after lunch."

"Why me?" He frowned, feeling at his cap. Seems he was disinterested in the figure skater's ego-festival.

"...So you can make good use of your camera." She smiled, smugly. "Right…?"

"...I...will not comment on that." Soro sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine then…"

"For now, m-may we go to my Shift Room?" Neizami clutched her tablet, stars in her eyes. "Please, p-please...I want to draw something, a-anything! I...I feel this e-energy that I haven't had since I came here and...I-I have to let it out…" She smiled, sheepishly.

The cinematographer shrugged. "I mean...go for it…"

Gleefully, Neizami was on the verge of bouncing up and down. "Oh, t-thank you, thank you!"

"We'll meet for lunch, in that case." Anne smiled.

"Hold it." Zraiko frowned, adjusting his glasses. "I need to use a Shift Room to program. You both can't take on-"

Mest began to drag Zraiko out of the room.

"W-What are you doing?!" The hacker fumed. "I'm trying to get us out of here!"

"...You need a vacation." Mest nodded, simply. "...And frankly…"

They stopped for a moment. Mest turned around, emitting a...grisly aura.

"If I see...one more line of code within the next forty-eight hours…" He placed his index finger just above his lip. "...I will tattoo a mustache onto your face."

"W...What?!" Zraiko frowned. "I object to this!"

Objections disregarded, Mest proceeded to drag Zraiko out of the room.

"...Hey, Kozaki." Weise tugged on my arm. "Let's go spend time with Neizami and Soro."

I looked over to my partner. "You artists have a thing where you like to work together, right?"

Cheerfully, Weise hugged his sketchbook. "Oui...I want to draw with her. Perhaps I'll revise your _ridiculous_ suit design I came up with."

...It was his own design, and yet...why do _I_ feel insulted by that?!

* * *

"Come on, Kozaki. Why not buy this shirt?" My mother asked, lifting up a T-shirt with a stegosaurus printed on the front.

"Mom, please…" I frowned. "I'm too old for a dinosaur shirt."

"Aww, but he's got a little smile! Isn't that cute?" She pointed to the face of the stegosaurus. "Let's buy it!"

"But Mom...I'll look weird wearing that!" I shook my head.

"Hey, Zaki...Zaki!" Mikanne walked over to me. "We're waiting for you at the entrance to the store. Did you finally pick a shirt?"

Sighing, I looked away. "N...No...I don't know what to get."

"That dinosaur shirt looks cool~" My mother whispered behind my ear.

"M-Mom!" I turned around.

"That's a cute dino shirt!" Mikanne smiled. "You should get it."

I looked back to Mikanne. "But Mik...the other kids will think I'm...a baby…"

Mikanne walked over to the rack where my mother found the shirt. He picked up one for himself. "There. I'll buy one with you!"

"Mik…" I felt at my right arm.

"We can wear the shirts together on the same day!" Mikanne smiled, encouragingly. "What do you say, Zaki?"

"...Okay…" I sighed, taking the shirt off my mother's hands.

Little did I know I would make many memories in that stegosaurus shirt. Mikanne and I were the dino duo whenever we twinned. A pair of rascals, mischievous kids who just wanted to have fun.

I was sad when I outgrew that shirt. Although Mikanne had done so before me, I wasn't ready to let it go. The shirt barely covered my chest, squeezing against me. It didn't bother me, though. I ignored it because I didn't want it to be thrown out.

Well…

We didn't throw it out at the end of the day. I wouldn't let them. Instead, my mother gave the shirt a sewing machine treatment, allowing for it to fit on my teddy bear.

It didn't matter if I wasn't wearing the shirt. To me...as long as we didn't throw it away...I would be happy.

* * *

Neizami was awful giddy. I watched as she swung her legs excitedly in her seat, tapping her fingertips together.

"W-What should I draw? Oh...oh...what...what s-should I draw?!" She started to bounce in her chair. I've...never seen her with this much energy.

"Woah. Who are you and what have you done with Neizami?" Soro blinked, surprised by her sudden change in personality.

"I-I...I'm sorry." Neizami smiled, sheepishly. "I always get excited when I draw...I really do love it."

"I'm happy for you." I nodded, offering a smile. "It's nice to meet the real Neizami."

Neizami's Shift Room was designed to look like the room was nice and open. There were windows installed that had some sort of hologram displaying sunny weather across a vivid forest. There were several beanbags scattered across the floor, off to the side was a miniature kitchen for her to make herself a nice cup of hot tea. At the center of it all was her computer and drawing tablet.

"I'm...I'm going to draw...umm…!" She looked over to the window, glancing around the 'outside' world. "Oh...oh...I'm not sure!"

"Hey, hey!" Weise raised his hand. "Draw a...a butterfly!"

Seems that these two artists were really resonating with each other. Weise stood up on his tippy toes to peek over Neizami as she drew.

"Non, non. Wait. It needs...a flower." He pointed to the bottom left corner. "Ici."

"N-No, it should go on the other side." Neizami shook her head.

"Non...it should go here!" Weise frowned, puffing his cheek. "It looks faux otherwise!"

Neizami frowned, looking over to Weise. "I'm...drawing...it...how I want to!" She then turned back to draw in the flower how she so desired.

Weise's cheeks puffed up even more. It was clear he disagreed with her choice of placement.

Soro and I attempted to take a step back from our partners, though it was difficult due to the handcuffs.

After a moment to calm down, we stood back to admire Neizami's finished artwork.

"What do you think, hmm...hmm?" She tapped her fingertips together, eyes sparkling. "Isn't it...isn't it great? Isn't it? I-Isn't...isn't it?!"

"Woah, woah…" Soro felt at his cap. "Calm down, Neizami…"

"Ah, I…" Neizami felt at her scarf, taking a deep breath. "I...apologize. I didn't...have the intention of being...childish…"

"Oh no, no!" I shook my head. "I'm really glad to see you still have a sense of yourself hidden away."

"Truthfully...I am...usually more like this." Neizami continued to feel her scarf, seemingly ashamed. "But...when...when I heard about the killing game, I...f-felt being myself would...m-make me a target…" She gulped. "S-So I tried to...be more mature…"

I looked to the side for a while. Seems that I'm not the only one keeping secrets about myself from the group. "...I understand what you mean, Neizami." I looked back to her. "But please...I would rather have it you be lively! It shows you won't let Monobotto get to you, and that...that energy will keep you going."

Smiling lightly, Neizami nodded. "T-Thank you, Kozaki…"

Looking at her butterfly for a while, Weise looked back to the digital artist. "...The flower looks... _fine_." He puffed his cheeks. "But my idea would've been better…"

Sighing, Neizami simply shook her head. "...N-No, it wouldn't have been."

I sighed and turned to the cinematographer. "Did you have a chance to check out your room?"

"Shift Room? Naw." He adjusted his cap. "If I have the chance to before lunch, I will. It's just…"

We turned back to see Neizami and Weise continue to bicker over her art choices.

"...She seems to be...in the zone." Soro chuckled. "When you're in the zone, it's hard to get out of it. One time, I was so focused on doing a shoot, I skipped breakfast and lunch. I was damn hungry after, I'll tell you!"

"In...the zone?" I asked.

"It's a thing we artists have." Soro pointed to his head. "We get these rushes of creativity, and...it's hard to get out of them until we're satisfied."

"Damn...I wouldn't know." I chuckled in return. "Can't say I've ever invested that kind of time to...anything."

Soro nodded. "We can't all be artists. I'm sure your untalented ass will find something in the future."

...I...I'm not sure if that was meant to be encouraging…

"Th...thanks…" I felt the back of my head.

"Non, non! What is this putrid couleur palette?!" Weise exclaimed in dismay.

"I-I like these colors!" Neizami frowned, looking to the fashion designer. "I-I haven't seen your drawings yet, s-so why don't you show me?!"

"Fine then!" Weise took out his sketchbook and put his designs up for display. "Feast your eyes on the great art of Weise Vayrne!"

Neizami blinked. "Wh...a-and people are supposed to...to _wear that?!"_

Weise puffed his cheeks. "Oui, they are!"

"I-I wouldn't even wear that if I went to a...a costume party!" Neizami shook her head. "I'm not t-taking any advice from you."

Weise frowned and closed his sketchbook. "Hueh?!"

I quickly tried to think of a distraction for Weise. "Hey, hey. I want visit somewhere else. It's my turn to decide where we go." Playfully, I tugged on his arm. "Oui, oui, ouiiiiiii!"

Weise pouted, crossing his arms. "Are you...making fun of me?"

"Whaaaat?" I asked, sarcastically. "Non, non...by the way, Neizami is right. Your design was...pas bon!"

He gasped, clutching his sketchbook.

"Ah, I have so much money! I'm going to...make a suit out of gold! Look, look at this, it's fantastic, non?!" I laughed.

Sniffling, he began to tear up.

"I…" I gulped, holding my right arm. "W-Weise, I'm sorry...I was only trying to be playful…"

He looked down, not granting me a reply.

"...Come on, let's go and hang out!" I smiled, leading him out of the Shift Room. "We'll eat lunch together, and it will be fine!"

"...Are my sketches really pas bon?" He looked at me, eyes twinkling.

"No, they're not." I patted him on the head, gently. "They're very...imaginative."

"...That sounds like you don't like them." He puffed his cheeks, sadly.

Closing the door as we exited, I sighed. "Well...truthfully...my family doesn't have a lot of money. I don't know...how to appreciate your art."

No clue in the slightest.

I'm...I'm…

I want to have as much money as he does. I want my family to have that money…

And...he has...he has all that. He has so much money…

Why...why can't I…

…

I feel like I can't hold back any longer, that I'm about to explode.

That money...that money my parents don't have…

…

That money that Weise has…

...

... _I want it_ …

...

 **...Was this...** _ **my motive?**_

* * *

"Mom, look!" I pointed to a video game in the toy store. "Can I have that for my birthday?"

My mother looked to the game in question, seeming to be dissapointed. "I'm sorry, sweety...we can't afford it."

"...But...why not?" I looked upwards, to her. "Isn't Uncle Haiji helping us with the money?"

"Not anymore, sweety." My mother led me away from the electronics section. "We couldn't accept that money."

"...Then...Dad was really serious?" I closed my eyes. "Uncle Haiji...did you really kick him out... _forever?"_

Sighing, my mother looked back to me. "It's for the best you forget about Uncle Haiji. He made the money from selling drugs."

"I know, Mom. But...doesn't he deserve a second chance?" I squeezed her hand.

My mother walked me over to the classical toys section. "No. He's had too many chances. That was his last chance. He crossed a line."

"...Mom…" I stopped walking. "Do you...hate Uncle Haiji?"

She didn't reply, only turning around and looking me in the eyes.

They were...filled with an emotion I've never seen from her before. I couldn't...couldn't tell what it was.

"Kozaki...come on. Let's get you a nice...board game. We'll play it when Mikanne comes over for your party, okay?" She changed the subject.

"...Okay, Mom." I sighed.

When Uncle Haiji left, the amount of money my family had shrunk dramatically. We couldn't afford the nicer clothes and toys anymore. We couldn't go out to eat at restaurants, we couldn't even buy juicy steaks anymore. Not unless it was _really_ a special occasion…

I didn't realize how much I took for granted until it was stripped from my hands. I didn't realize...how fortunate we were to have that money.

...But…

If that money came from a terrible place...maybe Mom and Dad were right to refuse it.

…

And now...I have to find some way to bring back all those nice things we used to have. I'd do it with my own hands.

…

I'll do _anything_...to get them enough money...

* * *

Weise unpuffed his cheeks, looking at me with worry. "...Not a lot of money? But...surely you have _enough_ money, right?"

Saddened, I shook my head. "No, Weise. My family...doesn't have enough money."

The fashion designer looked away. "...I'm sorry, mon amie. I...didn't mean to make you feel…"

"Weise, please." I tugged him lightly, getting him to walk with me. "...Don't call me your friend."

"W-Why not?" He asked, surprised.

With a deep sigh, I shook my head once more. "I don't have any friends. It's better off if it stays that way."

Weise fell silent.

"...You know me. I make shitty jokes that can hurt people's feelings. I'm not funny, and I'm an absolute mess. Honestly...I've done more harm than good. And don't try to deny it." I looked back to him. "Because of me...you're getting dragged along in whatever hell they put me through during the night. Weise... _you should hate me."_

…

No response.

"...Do you...understand now, how I feel?" I looked forwards, opening the door of my room. "I...need to rest. If you want, you can draw in your sketchbook."

My mood was swinging, faster than the pendulum of a grandfather's clock. I just...I didn't know. I suppose spending time with Weise was getting to me, the constant reminder that my family would never have as much money as his.

I sat against the wall of my room, closing my eyes. My right arm was lightly jittered back and forth as Weise used his left hand to draw.

Neizami was able to turn herself around for the better, and I...well…

Here I am being a selfish, depressed...pathetic…

…

I was getting ahead of myself, thinking that I could be friends with them. I have to remove myself. I can't let them in...I can't let them see the me that I hide inside…

...I'm lonely, so damn lonely. It's my choice, but…

I need to stay lonely, so that nobody is hurt because of me.

So that they can find a way to be happy here, like Neizami.

...

If the cuffs only break if someone dies...maybe...maybe I should…

…

I'm being stupid, so...so fucking stupid! Just when things were getting happier, I went and blew it. Over my selfishness, I blew it.

…

...This must've been why Weise and I were paired together. Because...Monobotto must've known I would be...jealous of him.

…

I can't stoop down to that level. I'm not going to be an idiot…

…

I will not hurt him just to get money. I will not end up like my uncle.

I swore...that I would never kill someone.

"Weise, I'm...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to act up like this. It was wrong of me to vent off to you like that. You're under enough emotional pressure as it is." I looked over to the fashion designer. "Please, call me your fri..."

He was unconscious.

"...Weise…?" I shook him, gently.

"Fool. He-will-not-wake-up-for-a-few-good-minutes."

I turned around to see Monobotto holding...a used syringe.

"Now-we-can-speak-in-privacy." Monobotto casually dropped the needle into the trash. "I-have-to-give-you-your-instructions."

"W...What the fuck…" I sat upright, cold sweat slipping down my face.

"You-have-continuously-failed-the-installation-of-Zepto. You-and-the-others. This-has-caused-quite-a-few-issues."

"...Good." I frowned. "The more I can do to spoil your day, the better."

"Kozaki-Daisuke. It-seems-you-need-an-emotional-kick. Perhaps-pairing-you-with-the-wealthiest-was-not-enough. Perhaps-learning-about-your-real-age-and-new-sibling-and-parents-was-not-enough. So-tell-me-this. What-makes-you-tick-?"

Glaring at the bucket of bolts, I chuckled lightly. "And you expect me to just tell you?"

"Why-yes." It replied, simply.

"Maybe I'll tell you after you explain to me what you're doing." I leaned back.

"I-don't-owe-you-any-explanation-you-fool. We-have-to-change-the-whole-program-now-to-adapt-to-you-fools." Monobotto pointed to me with one of its arms. "You-are-going-to-have-to-accept-any-experimentation-coming-your-way."

…

"Well...what if…" I gritted my teeth. "I don't want to just accept it?"

"Fool." Monobotto rolled closer to me. "Your-instructions-are-simple. Do-the-following. You-must-"

"How about...fuck you and your instructions?" I rolled my eyes, turning away.

"Listen-here-Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto grabbed me by the collar of my sweater, forcing me to look it in its soulless, glassy eyes. "This-is-simple. You-must-solve-the-riddle."

I blinked confusedly. "W...What? Solve…"

"Bring-the-five-together. That-is-your-task. That-is-all." Monobotto lowered me.

I shook my head. "Who do you take me for, one of your cultist henchmen? I'm not going to do shit for you."

"Is-that-so-?" Monobotto beeped. "Perhaps-you-need-more-motivation."

Monobotto reached over, beginning to stroke my hair.

"S...Stop that!" I struggled, trying to pull away.

"You're-my-little-sweetie. Oh-how-you-mean-the-world-to-me. Kozaki-Daisuke-my-sweet-little-ray-of-sunshine." Monobotto mocked me.

"I...I said stop that!" I had to restrain myself from attacking Monobotto. Otherwise...I'd be shot on the spot.

...This...this isn't fair...there's...nothing I can do to stop it…

I can't break the rules because...I know I can tough this out. I'm not going to waste it on me.

"Oh-how-I-love-you. I-am-so-proud-of-you." The bucket of bolts continued. "Please-come-home-to-me-my-child. Oh-sweet-child-of-mine."

"Get...get off!" I yelled out, trying to get someone's attention.

I wanted so badly to kick it away. It took everything I had to stop myself.

Don't break the rule.

 _Don't break the rule._

Monobotto continued to torment me. "You-are-my-sunshine. My-only-sunshine."

"Fucking leave me alone!" I was quickly losing my temper. Surely...it was trying to get me to snap.

...But I couldn't help it. This was personal now.

It replied, almost like a tease. "All-you-have-to-do-is-say-yes. Say-yes. Do-it. Do-it-Koza-"

There was a sudden _SMACK_ sound. Monobotto slowly turned its head around.

It...it was...

W...Weise?

"...He told you...to get off him, non? Fas ca maintenant…" His hands were shaking.

It looks like...he smacked Monobotto with his sketchbook…

...Oh no…

"...Oh-my. What-an-interesting-development." Monobotto released me. "Weise-Vayrne. You-violated-one-of-the-rules."

He gulped, nodding. "O...Oui…"

"I-have-no-choice-but-to-enforce-the-consequences." Monobotto grabbed him by the collar. "And-that-would-be-to-eliminate-you-where-you-stand."

"S-Stop! Get off him!" I tried to push Monobotto away. "You don't even have a single dent! Not even a scratch of paint! Leave him!"

"Rules-are-rules-you-fool." Monobotto sprouted an extra arm with a needle with some substance. "Hold-still-now. This-lethal-injection-will-make-your-death-quick-and-clean."

Weise squeezed my hand, unable to find anything to say. He was petrified...desperate…

"Hey! Mono-fuckface! I said leave him!" I yelled, trying to do something. "You said one rule could be broken, didn't you?! Maybe it fucking blows your ego, but Weise should be spared!"

…

Monobotto...stopped.

…

The wingnut suddenly turned to me. "...Understood. I-will-follow-these-new-instructions."

...New instructions?

"Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto teased me. "Perhaps-you-are-willing-to-make-a-bargain-?"

I gulped, knowing exactly what it was asking of me.

"And...and you'll leave him?" I asked, squeezing Weise's hand.

"Well-yes. However-actually-not-quite. I-will-not-euthanize-Weise-Vayrne. He-will-receive-different-consequences." It paused. "As-you-said. My-ego-has-been-blown."

I…

"...Yes, I'll follow your stupid instructions! Leave him, please…" I begged. "Please, put him down…"

Monobotto seemed to be quite amused as the arm holding the needle retreated. "Thank-you-for-your-compliance. However-I-will-not-release-Weise-Vayrne. I-shall-formally-invite-you-two-to-await-his-consequences-in-the-confinement-cell."

I was suddenly grabbed by Monobotto as well. It dragged us both out of the room, down the hall…

Towards the library...

* * *

I just could never sleep, and I never knew why.

Was it because of the cold left inside me after Mikanne moved away? Was it because I had no warmth when lost my friends?

...

I'm always feeling cold, even when I'm wearing lots of layers. Even when I wear my hoodie over my warm sweater, I still get goosebumps. I still shiver, I still feel...frozen inside.

It's ironic to say I hate the cold, because I love winter. The snow sparkling and icicles glistening...it's magic.

Mikanne and I would take snow to make anything out of it. Things like the obvious snowman, a cave, snow angels...we once made our own kingdom of ice and ruled over little pebbles. Our imagination would run wild.

And when he left...all I had was the cold snow...and no imagination to make dreams out of it.

I feel cold. I feel empty. I don't know what I'm going to do now.

What am I going to do? Where am I going to go?

I wanted to believe maybe I was good enough, even though I knew that I wasn't. Now here I am, all alone and cold. I should've known.

I did know, but I let myself be naive and hope there was a chance.

Mikanne isn't coming back, but I kept standing out in the snow to wait for him. Every day, I kept waiting and waiting.

But no, he never came back. I was left there outside in the blizzard.

Now I just feel cold. I'm not crying, nor will I cry because I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself, because I'm tired and I just want it to be over.

I tried to go and do things that would usually make me feel better, things that would bring a smile to me or get me to laugh...but I feel empty. I feel like nothing, because I am nothing.

I'm nothing...without Mikanne...

Where am I going to go now? I hoped too much, I dreamed too big, and now what?

There's nothing for me, is there?

Is there a tomorrow for me?

Is there anywhere I can go, or am I just going to be left here alone in the cold?

Am I going to slip away like I should've years ago?

I don't know who I want to be anymore, I don't know what I want either. I just want everything to stop and leave me alone, to stop and let me release all the feelings I keep inside me. Atleast to release them somehow, since nobody would care otherwise...

Nobody ever cared like Mikanne did…

The snow eventually melts, much like when I'm hit with the realization everything is impossible. Winter...it's so beautiful, and yet...if I stare for too long and spend all my time wondering instead of reaching those dreams, it all melts away.

The thing is, I need that cold in order to keep the snow there. That coldness is like determination, fighting against the wind to get as far as I can. Trying to resist the warmth that steers me away.

I need the cold, I need that drive...but I always fall back into the warmth and let things melt away. No matter how much I need that coldness to last, it hurts so much.

That's why I hate the cold, and I'll always be stuck living with it...

* * *

Monobotto dropped us roughly onto the ground against one of the bookshelves. It began to fiddle with some of the books. Speaking to us with a threatening voice, it worked with manipulating the many books on the shelf. "You-will-be-kept-here-until-I-receive-further-instructions-on-the-consequences-for-Weise-Vayrne."

Weise squeezed my hand. I feared for what would be coming his way.

"How-does-one-hour-sound-?" Monobotto taunted us. "Perhaps-even-more-? Maybe-I-will-leave-you-fools-to-rot."

The bookshelf was opened to reveal...a portal into a realm of darkness.

"Make-yourselves-at-home." Monobotto threw us into the room, slamming the door shut.

Pitch black...it was freezing…

…

I…

I don't understand…

...

"...Weise...why...why did you?" I asked him.

...No response. He was still shaking.

I squeezed his hand, trying to comfort him. "...Weise...it's okay. I'm here for you. I won't leave you. Talk to me...ok?"

"...I…" He squeezed my hand in return. "You promised you would protect me...so I...I wanted to protect you, too…"

A silence. I...I didn't know what to say...

"...Weise...I'm so sorry for being...selfish…" I looked down. "I never meant to hurt you...but I guess I'll never be able to stop...hurting others…"

"Non...I didn't realize I was making you upset. I'm...a friend, pas bon…"

We sat in silence for a while.

"...Je reste...want to be your friend." Weise whispered. "Please…"

I nodded, slowly. "I...want to be your friend, too…"

"Are we...going to be stuck here for a whole hour?" He was scared. "It's...il fait si froid…"

I gave him a hug, trying to comfort him. "It'll be fine. We can make it through."

Weise hugged me back, slowly.

"...Let's just...think about nice things, okay?" I smiled.

"Okay…" He relaxed.

"Can you draw? Will that help take your mind off of this?" I asked him, trying to be of some help.

He sighed. "Non...It's too dark…"

"Okay, okay." I whispered, patting him gently. "Try to imagine a new design instead, yeah? The design of your dreams."

"It's...too cold to think…" He whispered to me in return.

…

Damn...what do I do?

...Useless, I'm such a useless friend.

"I'm...I'm here, Weise. I won't go anywhere. Let's...just rest easy, okay? I'll protect you, just like I promised."

Weise gave me a slow, gently hug. "Merci, mon amie…"

…

It wasn't long before I could barely feel my fingertips. I was shaking, trying to salvage some form of heat. The frigid air made it hard to breathe, my teeth chattering like crazy.

"K...Kozaki…" Weise whimpered. "I...I'm so...cold…"

"Y...You can...think about...w-warm things…" I replied, knowing that was...stupid to say.

"I...I can't feel my fingers or toes…" He shivered.

I slowly rubbed his shoulder, trying to be of any help. "Just...close your eyes...try not to...t-think about it…"

It took what felt like ages for the door to open. I weakly looked over to see Zraiko and Mest.

"Hey, are you alright?!" The hacker asked, this probably being first time I've ever seen him worried.

I...didn't have the strength to respond.

The pair walked in, helping to walk us out of the frozen prison.

"We were all worried about where you two disappeared when you never showed for lunch." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "...Who'd have thought…"

They walked us to the Mono-shift Room. Seems the storage closet had some heaters and blankets.

The room was filled with shelves cluttered with various tools. A ladder was leaning against the wall to an air vent. To the side were several bags of salt.

"Hey...say something." Zraiko shook me.

"...We saw...Monobotto drag you two and lock you into that room." Mest felt at his forehead.

"That damn robot was going to leave you two to die, I bet." Zraiko frowned, bitterly.

I looked up to see the others were all standing outside the doorway.

It seems Soro, Neizami, Ingreis, and Riko all stopped their practice just to check on us.

"S….Sorry…" I closed my eyes. "So...so sorry…"

"Hey, stop acting like you're about to die." Zraiko shook me again. "Monobotto said you broke the rules, this is serious!"

"N...Non...c'etait moi…" Weise shivered. "...Kozaki...wanted to...help him…"

"...We have to be extremely careful now…" Mest crouched down, looking at us. "I'm sure if this happens again...you'll be killed…"

A very tense silence.

Nobody knew what to say. Weise was still shivering, so I gave him a light hug.

Monobotto...it's going to punish him in some way. I'm scared for him. Weise...he...he didn't have to help me…

...Now he has to be punished...because of me…

…

No. I promised I would protect him.

I...I'll take his punishment in his place. He doesn't deserve it, after all…

…

"What should we do?" Kyohi asked, feeling his right shoulder.

"Should...should we c-call off the skating performance?" Neizami asked to Ingreis.

Ingreis crossed her arms, looking to us. Her face...she wasn't sure what answer to give. She was a person to live by the schedule, after all. But…

Soro felt at his cap. "Damn...I sure didn't see this coming."

"Perhaps...we should postpone it…" Ingreis sighed.

"... Actually." Riko smiled, holding her hands together. "Let's have the show just as we planned."

"R-Really?" Neizami looked over to the clarinetist.

Ingreis nodded, slowly. "...Those two are clearly in the need of resting their minds…You may have the right idea, Riko."

Riko gently pumped a fist. "We'll put on a...a great performance. That way...Kozaki and Weise will be able to rest easy, right?"

I...I wasn't so sure…

...But…

"Are...are you sure?" Kyohi looked to us, worriedly. "Maybe they need to rest…"

Weise looked up. "Non...please, I want to watch…"

Everyone exchanged glances.

I nodded. "We'll be fine. Just...get everything ready, okay?"

Ingreis crossed her arms to think. She then nodded to me. "Alright. We'll have everything ready whenever you two are."

...Ingreis being flexible? Weird…

I guess she really does have a heart.

"Come on, then." Mest extended both his hands out to us. This caused Zraiko to strumble lightly, but he sighed and allowed the tattoo artist to be in control this time.

Weise and I looked to each other, then taking Mest's hands.

"We'll get everything prepared right away!" Riko smiled, encouragingly. "Please...go and eat something."

Anne smiled. "Mei and I will fix you two something spicy to warm you right up!"

Mei raised an eyebrow. "...We will?"

Cheerfully, Anne dragged Mei out of the room.

I needed Mest to lead me all the way to the dining room because of how out of it I was. I felt like...wherever we were...it wasn't just physically cold.

I couldn't...make any sense of reality.

Nothing was making sense…

…

I remembered what Mest told me. That...Monobotto was interested in me…

…

Why does it want me to 'solve the riddle' so bad…?

…

Mest...Mest could be right...after all...if I didn't agree to whatever command Monobotto gave me...

…

What's...going on here…?

Weise was still shivering, clutching his sketchbook.

"...Weise…" I patted him on the shoulder. "You should...draw something to relax, okay…?"

He nodded, silently pulling out a pencil from his inner vest pocket.

"How long were we in there?" I asked, turning to the hacker-tattoo artist pair.

"No clue…" Zraiko felt at his temple. "Though it sounds Monobotto had the intention of keeping you two locked in for much longer. We all had to threaten it to unlock the door."

"Y-You...threatened Monobotto?" I asked in disbelief.

Mest nodded. "I was testing my theory...and I seem to be on the right track." He pointed to me. "You are...of some sort of value to Monobotto. When threatening to reveal a huge secret about you, it started...sweating oil…"

"That...sounds absolutely fucking disgusting." I felt my guts twist in discomfort.

"...Oui…" Weise looked over. "How can a robot even sweat? Est-ce...programmed to have the function?"

"Probably to emulate emotion. After all...its face is certainly lifeless." Zraiko adjusted his glasses.

…

Back that up.

A...secret... _about me?_

"...Wait...w-what secret?" I gulped.

Mest slowly leaned in, whispering into my ear. " _...Arsonist."_

My eyes widened slowly. "W...What…?"

Mest leaned back out. Zraiko and Weise were confused by my reaction. It seemed they didn't know...

...How...how did Mest know?!

"When you quietly observe...you learn about many things." Mest tapped his forehead. "I've already collected secrets about everyone here."

I felt...quite afraid. I didn't know how my relationship with Mest stood.

W...What if he...told everyone?! I'd be...ruined... _fucking burnt to a crisp!_

And...why did Monobotto care…? After all...it would only make things more chaotic, right? So then…

…

Why does Monobotto think my talent is important to be kept secret?

I mean...I was going to keep it a secret anyway, but…

…

Maybe this is a sign that I need to tell them the truth...before it's too late…

…

No…

Another time.

I'm not...ready...

"On a lighter note!"

We turned to see Anne and Mei walk into the room, each carrying a bowl of soup.

"Here you are!" Anne smiled, placing the bowl gently in front of me. "Please, I...I hope you enjoy. It should warm your heart right up!"

The fragrance was incredible. I could feel my stomach grumble, excited to take a bite.

...It was spicy, so...so fucking spicy…

But...so good…

The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and there was a vivid wave of cheesy-goodness.

One spoonful was enough to throw me onto a beach in Latin America. The sun's rays reaching across the sky while the ocean's waves splashed against my toes.

"W-Wow…" I lowered the spoon. "This...this is amazing…"

"It was Mei's recipe!" Anne smiled, looking over to her spicy partner.

Mei nodded, feeling at her jacket. "Abuelita's recipe...Chupe de Camarones."

I couldn't stop myself from gulping it down. The heat was pounding within me, this may be up there for the spiciest thing I've ever eaten…

But...it was good...so good…

"Weise, isn't this great?" I looked over to the fashion designer.

His cheeks were all puffed up, eyes teary, face red. It seems...it was way too vibrant for his delicate palate.

"W-Weise, are you okay?" Anne gulped, feeling at her apron.

"O-Oui...it's...g-great…!" He gulped it down, coughing lightly. "I-I...l-love it…!" He took another spoonful to eat.

"Y...You don't have to eat it if it's too hot for you." Anne felt at her cheek. "I won't be offended if you don't like it…"

Weise ignored her and drank down the soup all at once. He burped lightly, sweating like a madman. "Ce..ses f-fan...fanta…" He coughed. "W...W...Waa... _Waaaater!"_

Anne quickly reached over for the pitcher of water that was resting on the table. "I-I got it!"

Weise stopped her from pouring it into a glass and began to drink straight from the pitcher. It took a good five minutes before he was able to catch his breath.

"...Lo siento. Was it too...picante for you, Vayrne?" Mei asked, seemingly feeling worried for the poor fashion designer.

"...Non, non...I needed it." Weise sat upright, looking back to me. "Oui, Kozaki?"

"Uhh...Oui." I nodded, trying to make him feel better.

"...Hmph." Mei tugged on her jacket, turning away. "Hurry up, then. Arinama's little espectáculo is about to begin."

"Maybe...maybe they should sit out…" Anne looked to us, worriedly. "Wouldn't it be best for them to get some rest? We...we could explain to Ingreis and Riko..."

"Non, please." Weise stood up. "I want to watch them skate, oui..."

It seems as though Weise was looking for something to distract him from all this.

...Damn it...I...I should've known I was a madness magnet. And...n-now I'm dragging Weise into all of my problems.

...

W-What if...what if he can't take it?

...

"...Yeah, I'll be fine...I'll watch it as well. I don't have a choice, anyways." I chuckled, awkwardly looking to the handcuffs.

"Then let's go." Anne cheerfully clapped her hands. "I'll make us some nice hot chocolate afterwards!"

With that in mind, we all walked as a group to go to the figure skating rink.

* * *

Weise and I stopped by the entrance to the rink to see Ingreis and Riko speaking to Soro and Neizami. It seems they were just about ready to begin.

"Hey, Kozaki and Weise!" Riko smiled. "Are you two alright?"

"Could be better…" I sighed, showing a smile. "But...here we are."

Soro felt at his cap. "You guys really wanna watch? You're not...exhausted?"

Weise looked down. "Well...je suis, mais...I don't want to miss this."

Ingreis smiled, crossing her arms. "It's...quite alright if you need to pass. I can always skate again for you if you wish."

Weise looked up to Ingreis, shaking his head. "Non. You worked so hard to make sure this will be perfect!"

"Right…" She sighed, looking to Riko. "Setup was quite...difficult."

Riko held her hands together, nodding. "Happens when things need to be just right, don't they? Especially for...Alestar, right?"

Ingreis nodded, dreamily. "Yes. I do hope Alestar will see I haven't lost myself here. I'll show him my strength." She pointed to Riko. "And you too, Riko. You'll show your family you haven't let this place bring you down."

Riko clapped her hands. "That's right. We're going to fly together."

"F...fly?" I blinked.

Neizami felt at her scarf. "T-That's right. I named their performance. It's called…"

"The Ballad of the Swan and the Sky." Ingreis looked to Neizami. "Very poetic. Thank you for your contribution."

It seems Ingreis was very excited to show her stuff to her skating partner. I think that's...very good on her. After all...showing that she wouldn't let this hell bring her down...showing that her spirit would continue to soar…

…

"Good luck, you two." I smiled.

Riko took my hand for a moment. "I do hope you'll see how hard I've been practicing, Kozaki. I want to make sure you can rest easy."

"This will raise our spirits." Ingreis glanced over to Riko, then looking back to me. "Riko and I will put on a memorable show."

"A-And then...Monobotto will completely forget about punishing Weise!" Neizami tapped her fingertips together. "B-Because...it will be completely captivated by their performance!"

"I...I don't think that's how it works…" I chuckled, awkwardly.

Weise squeezed my hand, worriedly.

I looked over to the fashion designer, sighing. "Don't worry, Weise. I won't let that wingnut hurt you. I promised."

Weise looked to me, smiling lightly. "Merci."

"Alright. We have a show to do." Soro nodded, feeling his cap.

"You two should take your seats." Ingreis grinned, pridefully. "I want only smiles to be on your faces after this, got it?" She pointed to Weise. "You especially."

"M-Me?" Weise puffed his cheeks, nervously.

Ingreis nodded, patting him on the head. "You have to show that robot you won't let it scare you. Weise Vayrne is a confident boy, isn't he?"

Weise smiled, crossing his arms behind his back. "Oui. I am!"

"Good." Ingreis pulled her hand away. "Later, you and I can go skating together in private. You still have much to learn, little boy. And trust me, who would be a better teacher than I, the great Olympic skater from Munich?"

O-Olympic skater…?

Damn. I thought Ingreis would be loud and proud about that, given that this whole thing is for putting her ego on display.

It seems...maybe there's a reason she was hiding that detail.

…

In any case, that's...pretty damn impressive. No wonder she's the Super-Highschool-Level Figure Skater...

Stars in his eyes, Weise nodded. "I-I'll make you proud, Ingreis! I'll...be your best student!"

Riko gasped, sarcastically. "What? Does that imply I am not a good student?"

Ingreis chuckled, patting Riko on the shoulder. "No, dear. You are quite a fast learner."

"Thank you." Riko curtsied.

Soro then pointed to the camera. "Should I get ready, then?"

"Yes, please." Ingreis nodded. "And then be sure to go control the lights as I asked, alright? Exactly. On the dot. It _HAS_ to be perfect!"

"I-I'm on it!" Neizami tapped her fingertips together. "I practiced quite a lot, so I hope it'll be j-just as you expect…"

With that, Neizami and Soro headed off, both of them exchanging glances with worry.

"You two should get to your seats now." The clarinetist smiled. "I do hope this will make you feel better."

The figure skater motioned over to the bleachers. "Just over there. Sit towards the top, it's the perfect view."

"Will do." I nodded, turning to Weise. "Come on, buddy."

With that, we headed off to sit with the others.

* * *

I took a seat at between Weise and Fraize. The air was cool...but certainly not as awful as the air in the...the dungeon...

"Amigo…" Fraize looked over to me with worry. "Esta bien?"

"Ah...y-yeah. Mei's soup really warmed me right up." I smiled, feeling the back of my head.

Sitting behind me, Mei sighed. "...Gracias, Daisuke…"

"I hope the show will go well, eh?" Tikari smiled, feeling at her beanie.

"Yeah...say, where are Soro and Neizami?" I looked around. "I thought they were setting up the camera?"

"I think they already finished.." Sayino pointed towards the pair. "See, they're walking back to Ingreis and Riko right now."

"Oh, I see." I nodded, thoughtfully.

"All nice and warm, are you?" Anne smiled, kindly.

"Mhm. The food really helped, thank you." I nodded once more.

"You can't be cold for long, right amigo?" Fraize smiled. "After all, you are el estudiante superior de incen-" He cut himself off.

It...it seemed like the word he was going for was... _incendiario_... _arsonist_...

...Oh fuck…

And Mei...is sitting right behind me…

"...De…?" The vigilante leaned in, squinting her eyes.

"D...De incendio!" Fraize smiled. "Kozaki is the more fiery out of us, n-no?"

Mei frowned.

"...Fraize...you don't have to come up with a talent for me." I lied, shamelessly. "I'm fine with Kyohi's title."

Kyohi smiled, giving me a quick wave. "That's right! After all, you're the only Kozaki we have!"

Mei rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat, seemingly because the show was starting.

Riko and Ingreis stepped onto the ice, giving us all a quick wave. With that, they began to glide across the rink.

It was magical, like watching a princess and her prince dance around together in a mystical forest. Souls in harmony, flowing with nature…

The Ballad of the Swan and the Sky, right?

Perhaps Riko is the swan, then...and Ingreis is the one lifting her into the sky.

It's...like a fairy tale.

While watching Ingreis and Riko skate around, it felt as though the air was getting colder. I couldn't tell why, but…

…It must be just me...

The two continuing to skate around, Ingreis and Riko jumped together into the air. Riko was able to land perfectly with Ingreis' guiding and support. They spun around, glided, flew on the ice in perfect harmony.

...and then the lights went out.

I looked around, trying to see what Ingreis and Riko were doing. It was difficult to tell, but...it seems they're continuing. I guess this was intentional?

The lights suddenly came back on. Huh...might've been a mistake, then. The pair seemed to be confused, but carried on. The lights went out again, flashing on and off quickly as though a paparazzi was snapping pictures of their performance.

The lights then stayed off.

This is...some pretty strange lighting direction, if I do say so myself. Ingreis seemed to be a little bothered, as her perfect plan wasn't being followed to a T.

…

Another ten or so minutes of impressive skating tricks. Honestly...I can't believe they're not showing even a hint of exhaustion. Must be because Ingreis was an Olympic skater. Riko...must be giving it her all.

...What's that...sound?

"...Do you hear that?" I turned to Fraize. "That...that sound?"

Fraize looked back to me. "Sí...what is it?"

"...No clue." I looked back over to the rink.

The noise began to grow louder and louder. Was it...some weird air conditioning? After all...everything feels to be growing colder and colder...

Weise tugged on my arm. "Kozaki, I don't think this is supposed to happen…"

"...Seems they both know about that. Ingreis must have a 'the show must go on' mentality." I leaned back on my seat, looking around. "Maybe...the air conditioner is acting up."

Ingreis then spun around with Riko again. I suppose if they're not distracted by the noise, I shouldn't be either.

…

And ignore the sound they did. Ingreis seemed to be even more bothered, but shook it off. Riko was worried, but was reassured when Ingreis gave her a confident nod. Picking up speed, they glided before launching into the air.

They were flying. Really, truly flying. It was as if they were going to fly out of this hell, soaring far from here.

…

There was an echoing snap sound. As though Hell itself was listening, it threw the sun upon them.

A crash...and silence.

...

I couldn't see them anymore.

...No...no.

The handcuffs are still in tact. I...I can…!

I ran out of the stand, pulling Weise with me. I wasn't thinking...I was…

I leapt over the barrier, Weise scrambling to keep up with me.

There's blood. A splatter.

No...no, no…

I can't...I…

"...Help...Kozaki…" Riko reached out to me with her right arm.

Her left arm was crushed underneath the giant light, pinning her down.

Her left arm was the one cuffed to Ingreis...I…

I couldn't see her.

"Weise, please. Help me lift this!" I attempted to push the fallen light off.

Despite the fashion designer being much shorter and less muscular than I, Weise did his best to help me.

When we pulled off the light...I was hit with the wave of reality I was trying so hard to deny.

And to confirm it...the handcuffs holding Weise and I together broke, the needles being the only thing keeping them stuck on.

There laid the body of Ingreis Arinama, the Super-Highschool-Level Figure Skater.

...Killed... _right before our eyes…_

 _ **Ding Dong Dong Ding**_

" **A-body-has-been-discovered."**

There was panic spread throughout the rink. Discord spread like a virus all throughout the bleachers.

I shook my head over and over...this...this can't…

" _ **Please-go-over-to-the-location-of-the-body. Oh-who-am-I-kidding-? You-fools-are-already-there."**_

Soro and Neizami slowly walked towards the wall of the rink from wherever their light controls were set up, both of them looking over in disbelief. After all...they were just trying to do as they were told, and must've been hit with a wave of shock that they were struggling to process...

Ingreis...how? How did this happen?!

I started to hear...someone sniffling. I turned to see Weise...was tearing up.

"It's...it's happened again…" He covered his face. "Non...non...non…"

I hugged him tightly, trying to comfort him...even though there was no way I could.

"...Hey...hey...I'm here...don't cry…" I tried damn hard, but...my own voice started to break.

Riko tried to hold her hands together, but...it seems her cuffed arm was broken. Instead, she placed her good arm over her heart tearfully.

"Why...did this happen?" Weise asked, shaking. "W….Why is...why is everything going into _madness?"_

Trembling, feeling as though I would collapse...I shook my head. "I...I don't know…"

"N...Non..." Weise dropped to his knees.

I...I couldn't support him. It wasn't enough...

He began to cry out loud, the weight of it all being...too much. Just...just too much…

"Weise...Weise, please…" I knelt down besides him, rubbing his back. "I'm here, okay? I'm…" I closed my eyes, feeling myself crying as well.

...We have to do this again…

We have...to...do _this_...again…

…

Have to have another trial, have to have another execution…

…

 _ **Damn it all...**_

* * *

~Chapter One, Daily Life Part Three, End~

~Chapter One, Deadly Life Part One, Start~


	11. If we Could Only Fly Deadly Life 1

"Kozaki, what are you doing here?" My mother asked, surprised.

It was Monday morning, ten-o-clock. There I was, sitting in front of the television and petting Shiro gently.

"I'm staying at home." I replied, looking back to my mother. "I...I quit."

"You...you quit?" She asked, not understanding what I was talking about.

"School. I'm done. I can't go back." I frowned, shaking my head. "I've...I've fucked up everything, Mom. It's for the best."

"...Sweety…" My mother walked over to me, slowly.

"I'm done, Mom. Please…" I looked back to the TV. "I...want to drop out."

My mother slowly stroked my hair. "...Why?"

"You know why, Mom." I looked to my hands. "I'm...ruined. Sending me to school is a waste of time."

My mother didn't respond.

I sighed, tearing up. "I'm a failure, Mom...I'm sorry...I can't...I can't do this anymore."

My mother patted me gently. "...How about this, Kozaki. We'll excuse you from school while you go get treatment, okay? Please...go see your therapist. Don't give up."

I looked up to my mother, shaking my head slowly. "I...I can't. After...after what I did? Y...You all...h-hate me...don't you…?"

"No, no." My mother pulled me in for a hug, gently. "Sweety, we love you. That's why we want to help you. Please don't say such cruel things."

I shook my head again, tearing up. "M...Mom...Please don't...don't love me...I'll only hurt you…"

"...Love hurts, doesn't it?" My mother stroked my hair again. "But I'm okay with hurting...because I'll love you forever."

I slowly returned the hug, closing my eyes. "...I love you, too…"

* * *

I slowly turned away from Weise to look at Ingreis. How did this even happen…?

She was alive...just...just a few minutes ago…!

Damn...damn it!

My eyes were fixed on her body for the longest time, the others all slowly walking onto the ice. Seems they all removed their handcuffs already...

"...Is...is she really?" Kyohi asked, frightened.

Sighing, I clutched the handcuffs and ripped the needle out of my wrist. The stab mark bled for a while, but...that wasn't the real issue here.

"...Right...right here? _Ahora?!"_ Mei frowned, eyes filled with disbelief.

"Ingreis…" Riko attempted to stand, but stumbled and fell over in pain.

"R-Riko!" I reached over to her, trying to help her up. "Are you okay?"

"N...No…" She looked away, saddened. "I...I could've been crushed with her, Kozaki...I-" She then bit her lip, wincing in pain. "O-Ouch!"

"Your arm…" I tried to be careful. "Let's get you off the ice."

"...Je...I'll...help" Weise attempted to pull off the handcuffs, but...he seemed to be frightened.

"Weise...let me help you. Just close your eyes." I walked Riko to the arms of Sayino. "Could you get Riko away from here for me?"

The motorcyclist nodded, slowly walking Riko off the rink.

With Weise closing his eyes, I gently pulled the needle out for him. "...There. You're free now, okay?"

He nodded without a smile.

"...Now then…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "I don't suppose Monobotto is insisting this... _was a murder?"_

"You-have-that-right-you-fool."

We turned to see Monobotto roll onto the ice...and then slide away due to the lack of friction.

"Curses-! Curses-!" Monobotto attempted to roll back to us. "One-of-you-fools. Bring-me-over-now-!"

We all stood, watching Monobotto continue to hopelessly roll around on the ice. Exchanging glances, it was clear that none of us were interested in providing any help of the sort.

"I-will-execute-you-fools-on-the-spot-if-you-do-not-assist-me-!" The bucket of bolts threatened us.

With quick and worried steps, Anne skedaddled over to Monobotto to pick it up and walk it back over to us. Her hands were shaking as she lowered it to the ground.

"Thank-you-Anne-Kimidori." Monobotto composed itself. "Now-then. I-will-pardon-Riko-Hamoizumi-and-Sayino-Makora-from-this-investigation-for-the-moment. This-is-due-to-the-circumstances-of-a-broken-arm-and-the-need-for-an-assisting-student. They-will-be-required-to-participate-after-treatment-is-provided. I-shall-take-care-of-the-medical-need-as-you-fools-investigate-this-murder."

...Just like how Monobotto allegedly took care of my wounds after that whole Puzzle Room mishap…

"...Why?" I pointed to Monobotto. "Why treat her broken arm?"

Monobotto turned to me, responding simply. "It-is-a-rule-to-be-followed."

"A rule…" Zraiko crossed his arms. "Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"It-is-irrelevant. Right-now-it-is-time-for-you-fools-to-investigate-the-crime-scene." Monobotto turned to Ingreis to retrieve her Bottolet. "You-may-take-time-to-bury-her-if-you-insist. I-was-instructed-to-permit-you-to-carry-on-with-your-burials. You-will-not-be-granted-extra-time. Make-it-quick."

...Irrelevant it says. More like it doesn't want to tell us.

I thought that the others must've annoyed it into treating my wounds, but...if it did it because it was instructed to do so…

...That's a horse of a different color.

I was pulled back into reality when I glanced over to Ingreis's body. She's...she's really...

...I still can't wrap my mind around it.

She was alive...she was...she really was.

And suddenly...she vanished. She flew away from here. Far, far away…

"Please-take-a-moment-to-read-the-Bottolets-about-the-circumstances-of-this-death." Monobotto instructed.

With a heavy sigh, I pulled out my Bottolet to read the file on Ingreis.

 _ **Victim Information:**_

 **The victim is Ingreis Arinama, The Super-Highschool-Level Figure Skater.**

 **Her age was 18 years old.**

 **She lived in Munich, Germany.**

 **She was five feet, ten inches tall.**

 **She weighed 137 pounds.**

 **She was allergic to cats and dogs.**

 **Her blood type was A+**

 **The victim's mental disorders are unknown.**

 _ **Victim Situation:**_

 **The victim's body was discovered in Shift Room 2 by Kozaki Daisuke, Riko Hamoizumi, and Weise Vayrne at 3:55 PM.**

 **The estimated time of death is 3:52 PM.**

 **The victim was killed by blunt force trauma to the head.**

 **The victim's heart rate remained constant shortly before death.**

 **The victim's brain wave readings showed the victim was focused shortly before death.**

Unknown mental disorders? What does that mean?

…

It probably means she didn't have one, right…?

…

In...any case...

No shit she was focused…

Ingreis was busy with her figure skating...she didn't know it was going to happen…

...Damn... _damn it…!_

"The-Puzzle-Room-and-Mono-shift-Room-will-be-frozen-in-place-for-your-investigation. You-have-two-hours." Monobotto began to... _attempt_...to roll off the ice. "Curses-! Curses-! One-of-you-fools-come-here-!"

With a sigh, Anne picked up Monobotto and carried it off the rink. She returned soon after.

…

Now...now what?

"...S-She's gone…" Neizami felt at her scarf, looking down.

"...If I may say…" Mest raised his index finger. "Whoever did this...was certainly trying to make a...display…"

"Killing her with everyone to see…" Tikari felt at her beanie. "And yet...none of us _saw_ who did it, eh?"

Crossing my arms, I began to think of a plan for how to approach this investigation. "...After we get a good look at everything in the room, we should lay her in the garden. Right now, I'll look at her to see if there's anything on her person we need to know. Then…"

Zraiko pointed to Soro and Neizami. "You two. Show us what you were doing around the rink. You have recorded footage, do you not?"

Soro nodded, feeling at his cap. "Sure do."

I watched as Zraiko rallied the others to follow him off the rink. That left me with Weise, Kyohi, and Fraize.

"I don't have a notepad on me, but…" Kyohi smiled, clutching his Bottolet. "I can text you all our findings with the app."

"Thanks, Kyohi." I smiled. "I couldn't ask for a better documenter."

Fraize nodded to me, seemingly he was looking to help me investigate the rink in detail.

I gave him a nod in return, then looking over to Weise. "Hey, Weise...are you sure you want to investigate with us? I know it's mandatory but...you don't have to investigate her body...you can join the others instead."

Weise shook his head. Although the handcuffs were broken...he still might've felt the need to stay by my side. Either that, or...he really wanted to help...regardless if it made him uncomfortable.

"...Alright." I knelt down besides Ingreis, feeling her hand. "She's still warm...the handcuffs are still on her. Should I take them off?"

Fraize shrugged. "Pienso que there is no problem…"

Slowly, I pulled off the handcuffs from her wrist. "...Alright, then…"

There didn't seem to be anything strange about her at all. Besides from being crushed by the fallen light, nothing was irregular.

I looked over to see Weise had picked up the handcuffs to examine them. "...Hnn…"

"Something wrong?" I asked, noticing how focused he was.

"N-Non…" He looked away, insecurely.

Standing up, I gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Hey. You were a big help in the last investigation, you know. I need that again. I need that confident Weise to come back and help us, okay? Please...look at everything critically."

He looked back over to me. "...I…"

"Your talent...you must have a very keen eye, right?" I smiled.

He slowly nodded and showed me the handcuffs. "C'est...imitation metal."

"Metal falso?" Fraize leaned in.

The fashion designer nodded. "Oui. We use it for certain designs for that metallic look, without it being lourd on the clothes." He fiddled with the cuffs. "They're not supposed to be very strong, but...then you have the coating on the cuffs themselves."

"That must've been why we weren't able to break them." I nodded. "Is there...anything else?"

Weise crossed his arms behind his back. "...Hnn...the imitation metal does not conduct. It's very… 'safe' I suppose…"

I nodded, thoughtfully. "I see…"

Fraize examined the ceiling light. "Amigos, take a look at this."

We looked closely to see the main wire was burnt out. Perhaps it was overheated?

But...how would it have fallen? There's no sign of it being weighed down…

If the killer wanted the light to fall on Ingreis...how did he or she even manage it at all?

Kyohi continued to type into his Bottolet. "Hey, Kozaki...do you think the wire was cut?"

I looked over to my assistant, feeling behind my head. "Well...it could've been, but…" I shook my head slowly. "How? We were all on the ground. Nobody was on the ceiling to cut the wire there."

Weise tugged on my sleeve. "Look, my friend. The cut…"

I looked to see where the fashion designer was motioning towards. The cut was ragged...not a clean cut…

"Oh...perhaps es un…" Fraize felt at his chin. "Contraption?"

...That...that could be it.

"But how?" I looked up towards the ceiling. "I don't see anything of the sort…"

"Should we go take a closer look?" Kyohi asked, lowering his Bottolet.

"Yeah…" I sighed, feeling at my head. "I...don't think there's anything left to see here…"

We all slowly walked off the ice, Fraize carrying Ingreis over his shoulder.

"Wait." Weise tugged on my sleeve. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

I paused to look to where Weise was pointing towards. "I...can't see what you're trying to show me."

He sighed, pulling me over towards the wall of the rink. "Regardez...there's salt on the ice here." He pointed towards a wire. "Et...there's an open wire here."

I called over Kyohi and Fraize to join us. The tour guide kneeled in, inspecting Weise's findings. "Es una...hazard. Piensaís que el traidor laid it out?"

Scratching the back of my head, I shrugged. "I'm...not sure. The salt would melt the ice and make a puddle...and if electricity was running through that wire…"

"But...the cause of death is from being crushed…" Kyohi looked to Ingreis. "So then...what does this have to do with it?"

Walking back towards the exit of the rink, I shook my head. "Let's try and take a look at the other side of the wall. There could be something we might find."

The others exchanged glances before following behind me.

* * *

I wasn't the best in Chemistry, but that's not to say I didn't try my best to learn. Cations, anions...I even learned about ICE tables and spectroscopy. I might've been able to make up something for myself if I never dropped out of school. I could've studied Chemistry like my late aunt Audeline. I might've made money. I might've saved myself.

...But...clearly it never turned out that way.

I had to remember all sorts of things. When an acid and base react, they produce a salt and water. When a salt is dissolved in water, it makes it very conductive because of the free flowing ions. Water by itself is incredibly conductive anyways, because it's a polar molecule.

I remembered all these details, and yet...there would never be a payoff to it. Hybridization, kinetics, nuclear...all those lessons went to waste because I threw my life away.

Those things...they were actually pretty interesting. The math wasn't my favorite, but the things about the actual Chemistry were interesting to me. The way that the molecules worked, the way they built up everything…

I think organics was my favorite unit. Like building blocks, you could make chains that could go on for ages. Polymers...they were endless. I still have that table of functional groups memorized.

Alcohols could be combusted. Organic acids were like alcohols, but...with an extra oxygen double-bonded to that same carbon. Amines had a nitrogen-hydrogen pair at the end of the chain, while amides were like...an amine and organic acid had a child or something. Instead of it being an alcohol group at the end, it would be an amine.

That's what I thought of it, anyways. It helped me remember.

I wonder why I still do remember...

...Before I dropped out, I was actually doing pretty well. I was...on a path to fixing myself. I was going to finally break free.

…

And then...everything went horribly wrong.

I shut down after it happened.

…

...And I never recovered.

...

I...hate thinking about it. I wish it could go away.

...But...those kinds of things…

…

When you almost die, it's not something you can just walk away from.

* * *

By the time we met with Soro and Neizami to ask about the 'behind the scenes' of the skating performance, Zraiko and the others were already finished.

"You're done?" I asked, looking over to the hacker.

Zraiko shrugged, crossing his arms. "There's not a lot to go off on. Tell me, then." He pointed to me. "What did you find?"

I explained to Zraiko the results of my investigation on the ice. His eyebrows were furrowed in thought.

"...This is all too perfect to be an accident." He adjusted his glasses. "And yet…"

"...There doesn't seem to be anything that suggests someone killed Ingreis..." Mest tapped his forehead. "...yet."

Neizami felt at her scarf. "I-I don't know how anyone could've…" She looked up towards the ceiling. "H-How could anyone have made the light fall?"

A tense silence.

"Quiero mirar Daisuke's findings for myself." Mei crossed her arms.

Anne nodded. "I...I think maybe we should swap places, then? We...could check for each other anything we could've missed."

"Good idea." Zraiko walked past me. "Have a crack at it, why don't you?"

I turned to look at the pair who was instructed to be in charge of the camera and lighting. When I thought about it, Soro's pants seemed to have been torn. I guess he must've tripped over somethings.

You know...with the inconsistent lights...maybe that's when it happened. I would easily trip over my stupid ass in the dark.

With a shrug, I walked over to Soro and Neizami. "Could you fill us in on what was going on here?"

Soro felt at his cap, looking around. "How far do you want me to go back?"

"Anything you think was weird." I crossed my arms. "From when...Ingreis and Riko came to get you after lunch."

Neizami felt at her scarf. "W-Well...it was actually before lunch. Ingreis told us that she was ahead of schedule…"

The cinematographer nodded, taking off his cap and fanning himself with it. "The perfectionist she was wanted to have as much time as possible to prepare. Damn, I'm hungry as hell."

Kyohi looked around the area. "Where did Ingreis have you set up?"

"This way, this way." Neizami motioned over to the setup. With a short walk over, she gestured around the area. "We were here for a while before going to handle the lights. A-After all, she told us specifically to make sure the camera was absolutely perfect."

"Ingreis did?" I looked over the wall of the rink. "Wonder why…"

I looked over to see Weise tug on my sleeve. He pointed over to what he wished me to see. "Look, mon amie. C'est the salt and metal…"

I followed his gaze and nodded. "Yeah, I see. It's hidden by the curve of the rink. The camera wouldn't have captured it…"

...What does that mean…?

I looked over to Kyohi, pointing to his Bottolet. "Hey, could you jot that down? I think it's... important."

Kyohi nodded, tapping away at my request.

"Amigo, should we look at the wires closer?" Fraize asked.

I gave the surrounding area a quick glance. Nothing was out of place...I had no idea what could've caused the light to fall. "Sure." I turned to Fraize. "Go ahead."

Upon reaching the wire, Soro knelt over. "You know...this is the spot where Ingreis spilled that salt."

"Huh?" I looked to the cinematographer. "Why was she carrying salt?"

"She found it in the Mono-shift Room. Wanted to use the bags to prop up my camera." Soro stood up, feeling his cap. "She said she accidentally spilled some while carrying the bags over, and was going to clean it up."

"R-Riko did offer to help carry the salt, but…" Neizami tapped her fingertips together. "I-Ingreis insisted she would take care of them."

"She must've forgotten when we all heard that commotion outside." Soro nodded. "It was a damn frenzy, I tell you."

"Frenzy…?" Weise asked, being out of the loop.

Fraize nodded, feeling at his shirt collar. "Sí. Cuando nosotros found out about you two being...encarcelado."

...Seems like Weise and I really caused worry for the others.

…

I really hope Monobotto forgets about punishing Weise with the whole trial thing we have to do now. It's not even fair…he didn't do anything wrong...

"What's with this wire, then?" Kyohi pointed to said wire. "It's so out of place...surely it was laid out on purpose…?"

"Maybe...maybe the killer took advantage of Ingreis's mistake and laid a trap?" Neizami felt at her scarf.

"But...she didn't die of electrocution." I shook my head, showing the Bottolet report. "What would've been the point?"

We all exchanged glances.

"Maybe...we're thinking too much into this…" Soro crossed his arms. "Are you sure it's not just an accident? Maybe...maybe the last trial got into your head way too far?"

I looked to Soro, frowning lightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're overthinking it too damn much." He shrugged. "Some things are genuine accidents."

I sighed and shook my head. No...this couldn't have been _just an accident._

…

Maybe he's right. I did always have a habit of getting paranoid…

…

I'll just...come back to this later.

With Riko, when she recovers. I'll ask her what she thinks.

"Let's revisit this after we've investigated other things." I motioned to the others. "They seem ready to…"

"Lay Ingreis." Kyohi lowered his Bottolet, saddened. "Shouldn't...shouldn't we wait for Riko and Sayino…?

"Unfortunately…" Neizami took in a quick breath. "We're on a time limit...w-we'd best do it now s-so...it won't be on our minds any longer…"

I looked over to Fraize, as he was still carrying Ingreis over his shoulder. Nodding slowly, I closed my eyes. "Let's do it."

* * *

We laid Ingreis besides Kamiyaki, but we didn't cover her up just yet. Mostly because we were still...in shock. Mostly because we were in denial. There's no way she's dead, right?

But no. If her crushed body wasn't proof enough, nothing would be. I couldn't do it, I couldn't cover her.

...

My words of parting to her were brief. I didn't know Ingreis very well, but...I did have one thing to thank her for. That moment on the ice, when I felt alive...it wouldn't have been possible without her.

…

It was Fraize and Mest who did it, the rest of us watching silently. How could this have happened? How did the light fall and crush her?

…

Damn it...

Nothing was making sense. I...I couldn't connect one thing to another.

Even if Ingreis wasn't the nicest person in the world, she still had good intentions. She must've. After all...if it weren't for her…

I'd have taken the glove off. Probably I'd have been...disposed of immediately. The others...they might've all voted for Neizami…

...We all would've died.

Well...except for Kamiyaki, but...would she have been able to live with that burden?

...No. Who am I kidding? They had Riko there. She would've found some way to prove…

…

Am I...really that important?

…

...And now that Ingreis is gone, nobody will be standing next to me. I'll have nobody to save me from myself if I try to do it again.

I...I won't try to do it again. I can't.

Because…

…

While slowly walking out of the garden, I was stopped by Zraiko. He pulled be off to the side, to the hallway at the back entrance of the library.

"Yes." He said, simply.

I blinked, feeling the back of my head. "S-Sorry?"

"The answer to your question." He pointed to me. "Is yes."

"...Uhh…" I gulped, avoiding eye contact. "W-Which question?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "In your Shift Room. You asked if you were the only one who could face the truth."

My face grew confused. "...Why are you only giving me this answer now?"

The hacker glared at me, critically. "I'm a busy guy, let me tell you. Anyways." He shook his head. "Yes. We...wouldn't have been here without you. I wanted you to know that...hopefully to encourage you."

"But...you knew what you were doing the whole time." I looked him in the eyes. "You were ready to just jump into it, to get it done. I...held you back."

"No." He shook his head again. "You stopped me from making us choose incorrectly. I thought it was so simple, so obvious...but you questioned it." He felt at his temple. "I...hate to admit that I was wrong, but that's what the facts are. I'm telling you now, Kozaki. I need you to do it again. I need you to challenge me."

I took a moment to process what he was asking of me. "...But I...I don't know if I can...m-maybe it's better if we do it all as a group…"

"Didn't you notice, in the trial?" He adjusted his glasses. "You took the leadership role there. You need to stay with it. If we don't have even one leader...we'll be a bunch of aimless flies."

"Aren't...aren't you the leader, Zraiko?" I asked feeling my right arm. "You're clearly...far more intelligent than I am. Wouldn't someone...as smart as you...be better for that?"

"...I had a few talks with Mest." Zraiko closed his eyes to reflect. "...And I have to agree with his theory. There's something about you that's...important. We need to keep an eye on that, alright?"

I felt at my head. Important...me?

"And also…" Zraiko walked up besides me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't give up hope. I see it in your eyes, how defeated you feel right now. Just try to get yourself ready for the trial. If you need anything...just ask me." With that, he walked away.

I felt at my shoulder for a while. I don't think Zraiko's ever been this...sincere before.

…

Am I...important? To...to who?

I looked to my hands, feeling insecure.

...All those tests and experiments...what does it all mean…?

...Who...am I?

* * *

...I think I was a junior in highschool when I hit my lowest low. Makes sense, because that's the year I dropped out.

I had a...reputation for my 'fire habits' and the like. Nobody ever bullied me, but...that social isolation wasn't any better.

People were uncomfortable to even sit next to me in class. Even though I had no intention of hurting anyone...it seemed that they didn't want to risk it.

I didn't sit in the back in any of my classes. I was a second-row kinda student. I really did try hard in all my classes. The B's I got weren't what I wanted...but at least I had really improved since middle school.

Calculus sucked, and I worried about taking the next level as a senior. Yes, I was ahead of other students in my grade in terms of math. But...I didn't really have any reason to feel... _proud_ of that. Bs in Calculus were a blessing, honestly...

Chem was okay. There were too many formulas to memorize, and the problems were always long and tedious. Sometimes one question took up _three_ whole pages of the test. But...it was interesting. It was interesting, so I put up with it because it was oddly exciting. Organics were my favorite unit.

English was fine I guess? My teacher was impressed with how... _poetic_ my essays were.

But...I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

History was my best class, surprisingly enough. I think it was because of how damn amazing the teacher was. He made it...fun to learn. He cracked jokes, really hammering things into our heads. I don't think I'll ever forget the details of the Secleta Conference until I'm on my deathbed.

I was oddly athletic, able to run pretty damn fast. I think my mile-run time clocked in at just under 7 minutes. I was recommended to join the track team, but...emotionally I never could.

…

I wasn't a bad student by any means. I was just...bad at everything else.

I couldn't connect with people at all. Some people tried to be friends with me, but I pushed them away myself. I...wanted to protect them from the hell that was my life.

…

I was lonely. So...so damn lonely…

It was a vicious cycle. My pain drove me to commit arson, which only caused people to avoid me more, giving me more pain...committing more arson...over and over…

…

I felt like a waste of life.

All of my reasoning turned off. All the things that told me to keep going...I couldn't hear them anymore.

The money troubles at home...my own troubles here…

I felt like...like…

...Like everything I was doing...wouldn't even matter at all…

I snuck out during lunch period. Hood pulled over my head, I climbed onto the roof overlooking the town. I just wanted to disappear. I...I just...couldn't take it anymore.

I closed my eyes...

...

* * *

It was still on my mind when I went to go check on Riko. Me...take the lead?

I can't do that...I-I've never been a leader in my life.

…

There's gotta be a mistake somewhere, I'm sure. Zraiko's usually a jerk. This...could just be part of his psychology game to get my hopes up or something…

…

I found Riko and Sayino at the fountain in the compass. They were sitting together on one of the benches. Riko's arm was covered in bandages, and...she seemed to be looking very uneasy.

"Hey guys." I walked down the steps, taking a seat at the vacant bench. "I wanted to check in with you guys. Is...everything okay?"

Sayino crossed her arms. "Well...it's hard to tell."

Riko showed me her arm. "Monobotto treated it with some sort of weird lotion. I thought it was just one of it's disturbing jokes, but…"

"Don't tell me...it's actually helping?" I leaned in.

"It's miraculously healed, and I have no clue how it's even possible." Riko felt at her arm. "It said the bone will be soft for a while, so I'm really nervous about...whatever potion it was…"

Sayino nodded. "It was just like last time, too. Monobotto put that lotion on your deep scab." She pointed to my arm. "It healed right up."

...If...if we could get our hands on that lotion...we could...we could stop more of us from dying…

I shook my head in response to my thoughts. We don't have time right now.

...After the trial…

…

"Why?" I asked. "Why is Monobotto doing this when...clearly it's entertained by our deaths…?"

"I-already-told-you-fools." Monobotto rolled over to the edge of the stairs. It sprouted out a set of hands to waddle down the steps, then retracting them. "Absolute-fools. Do-you-never-listen-?"

...It has its own rules to follow.

"Mind clueing us in on what your rules are?" I leaned in. "I'd really appreciate it if you did…"

"Fool. I-will-not-spoil-you-so." Monobotto spun around once. "In-any-case. It-is-time-for-you-two-fools-to-join-in-the-investigation."

"But…" Riko felt at her arm.

"If-you-would-like," Monobotto beeped. "I-can-provide-you-with-instant-bone-healing-juice."

She blinked. "Y...You can?"

"No-you-fool. That-doesn't-exist. Juices-do-not-possess-mystical-abilities."

"O-Oh…" She gulped, looking down.

"Hey, show some manners you wingnut." I placed a hand on top of Riko's wound. "Don't you know you're supposed to give best wishes to people who are hurt?"

Sayino chuckled. "Heh, that's true. Monobotto should draw a smiley face on her bandages."

Monobotto didn't respond.

"Come on then, bucket of bolts." I snickered. "Wish her well."

Monobotto simply sprouted arms and pulled off the bandage from Riko. "You-are-no-longer-wounded-by-my-declaration. I-wish-you-misfortune-and-despair."

Riko felt at her arm, sighing. "Thanks...bucket of bolts."

Monobotto turned to the stairs and climbed up using its hands. "Fools."

We awkwardly exchanged glances, silent for a moment.

Sayino stood up, stretching her arms. "Well...you heard the robot. Seems like we better enter the fray."

"I...suppose you're right." Riko slowly stood up, cautious of her arm. "Should we head to the ice rink?"

Standing up myself, I shook my head. "Let's...save that for last. There's somewhere I think we need to look at first…"

…

The Mono-shift Room…

…

Since I wasn't currently so focused on trying not to freeze to death, I could finally examine the room properly.

"Are you thinking that the killer used some of the supplies here?" Sayino asked, looking around with her arms crossed.

"I...I'm not sure…" I knelt down towards the bags of salt. My mind wasn't so focused on finding things that were displaced in the room.

...The salt…

There were holes in the bags.

…

Did Ingreis...really spill the salt by accident?

…

I'm...thinking too much into this. After all...she and Riko would be put in danger on the ice. Surely she wasn't looking to ruin the show they practiced so hard for…

…

Am I...becoming paranoid?

"Heyo, did you guys notice?" Sayino pointed towards the wall. "The ladder's gone…"

I looked over in accordance to her directioning. "...You're right."

"Oh, I can explain!" Riko raised her hand. "Soro and Neizami took the ladder. It was Ingreis who asked them to."

Ingreis...Ingreis…

…

Why is _she_ the one acting so suspicious when _she's_ the one who ended up dead?

It's...not making any sense…

…

Was this... _staged?_

"Riko…" I turned to the clarinetist. "Why did Ingreis ask them to get the ladder?"

"To set up the camera." Riko held her hands together. "But...she wasn't satisfied with the height. She...was a perfectionist, after all…"

I felt the back of my head. "Then...what did you do with the ladder?"

Riko closed her eyes in recollection. "Well...she asked them to put it in the back. Meanwhile, we went to pick up some salt bags."

"There's a...back?" Sayino scratched the back of her head. "Back of the ice rink?"

Riko nodded. "Yeah, let me show you guys."

I took one more moment to scan around the room. Nothing else was out of place…

…

"I'm ready." I nodded to Riko. "Show me the back room, please."

* * *

We walked by the group of others on our way to the back room. Seems they wanted to continue investigating the rink in detail.

"Hey, Soro. We're going to look in the back room...is that alright?" Riko asked, politely.

"Huh?" The cinematographer adjusted his cap. "Uhh...sure I guess?"

"D-Do you think it will be important?" Neizami asked, tapping her fingertips together.

"Can't say for sure…" I crossed my arms. "...But...it's better we leave no stone unturned. After all...we'll need every scrap of evidence we can find to solve this."

Soro nodded, adjusting his cap. "If you think it'll help, then go for it."

"Will do." Sayino nodded with a smile.

With that, the three of us headed to, hopefully, the room that may answer our questions.

The back room wasn't actually a separate room in the sense that a door was needed to enter. It was more of just a simple walk-way in, seemingly being a frame for a possible door.

…

It was a dark room, with not so much going on. A bucket and mop were resting besides the wall. They seemed to be damp, as though being used just recently. The missing ladder was found resting on the floor, this being where Soro and Neizami must've placed it. I found some cables coiled up in the far corner, those possibly being extras for the lights. There was also a small control panel setup, seeming exclusive to manipulating the lights.

Sayino walked over to the control panel, investigating the many switches. She gave one a quick flip, which caused the lights of the rink to go out. I could hear the others being mildly alarmed, and...I swear I could hear Mei yell out, " _Dunce-suke!"_

…

Has my name been officially added to her dictionary of curse words?!

Rolling my eyes, I flipped the switch to turn the lights back on. "Seems this is how they cut the lights during the show. But...what for?"

"It was in her instructions." Riko motioned to a scrap of paper resting on the side of the panel.

I picked up the wrinkled sheet to give it a quick read, interested to see what the figure skater was planning.

 _Turn the lights off for a while, then turn on the spotlight. Once we get to the finale - as I described before - turn on the LEDs. At that final jump, do the flash._

...Hmm…

This shows that Ingreis certainly wasn't expecting what went down…

…

I need to take note of this for later…

"Hey, Sayino." I turned to the motorcyclist. "Can you get Soro and Neizami over here? I want to ask them about this."

"Sure." She nodded, then exiting the room.

It took a few minutes before Sayino returned with the pair.

"You call for us?" Soro felt at his cap.

I pointed to the control panel in response.

"Oh damn...right…" He sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah...we kinda fucked it up."

"N-No, Soro. Don't say that." Neizami felt at her scarf. "It was me…"

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking back to Neizami.

She looked down, embarrassed. "Soro was keeping an eye on the camera, s-since we were too far away to actually handle it. Meanwhile, I was working with the lighting. B-But I messed up…"

"What do you mean?" Sayino asked, crossing her arms. "She gave you instructions, didn't she?"

"I-I turned the lights out too early…" She shook her head. "A-And I got flustered, so I turned them on again. Then I m-missed the part where she wanted me to put on the spotlight a-a-and…" She took in a deep breath. "I...I really messed up!"

"Neizami…" Riko patted the digital artist on the shoulder to comfort her. "It's okay...mistakes happen."

...Perhaps, a fatal mistake...

Soro took off his hat. "It's not only her fault, though. I fucked up, too."

I looked to Soro, interested to hear what he was owning up to. "What fuck-up are you talking about?"

"See that vent there, above the ladder?" Soro pointed upwards. "It's connected to the Mono-shift Room. And...possibly the other student Shift Room as well. Well...she asked us to go into the vent and set up the snow machine there."

"S...Snow machine?" Sayino blinked.

"Yeah...but as I said, I fucked it up. The machine broke." Soro shook his head. "You can climb up in there if you don't believe me."

"It looks awfully tight…" Riko held her hands together. "I-I knew she wanted the snow machine set up, but…"

"I'll take a look." I nodded, then turning to Sayino. "You're pretty damn strong, Sayino. Would you please hold the ladder for me?"

With Sayino keeping the ladder secure, I slowly opened the vent guard. With a brief moment to look back to the others, I nodded and crawled inside.

* * *

It was difficult to navigate around the tight twists and turns of the vent. It was like a children's slide of doom or some shit...I didn't know what direction I was going...except for the direction of death I suppose.

…

A ladder...in the vent?

It was missing a beam...weird.

...This place is so stuffy, I'm surprised that both Neizami and Soro managed to squeeze through.

Especially with this ladder and all…

I finally found the setup Soro was talking about, overlooking the top of the ice rink. I could see the others below, still investigating the crashed light.

...The sight made me nauseous.

I found the supposed snow machine, it was pretty damn small though. I'm not sure how it could have all that power inside something that...literally fit in the palm of my hand. It was like...one of those toy cubes.

...What were they called?

…

Nevermind...it's not important.

Huh...the on switch is flipped, but nothing is coming out.

...Must've run out of battery.

I guess Soro's fuck-up was that he forgot to put in the ice, breaking the machine. After all, there was no snow to be seen during the show.

…

There was some kind of metal rod laying against the edge of the wall. It was slightly damaged, with some sharp cracks…

…

Seems that this pipe must've been laying around in the vent. It has the same metal type as everything else, after all…

I wonder where it's supposed to go to?

...Was this the missing step?

Ah. Good that they removed it, in that case. Otherwise, it could've broken under their weight.

Hmm...

The frame of the air vent was sealed up tight. Nobody could've opened it because of the solder…

…

The size of the holes...

…

No, I'm being paranoid again. I can't jump to conclusions.

…

Hmm...anything else?

...There's a few strings of cloth stuck in one of the screws of the vent guard. Maybe Soro got stuck? He is...quite large, after all. And poor Neizami...I sure hope his thick rear didn't smack against her...

…

Anyways...there doesn't seem to be much more to find.

The only other thing here is the view.

...

Time to head back to the others.

I turned around slowly, as I was a little big for the vent. I hoped I wouldn't end up trapped inside. The last thing I want to do is go back facing backwards. After that climb up here...I could slip and fall and fucking break my neck or who knows what.

It was a tight squeeze, but I somehow managed to turn around.

…

And there was Monobotto, waiting for me.

"Hello-there-Kozaki-Daisuke. What-a-strange-place-to-be-investigating-in." The bucket of bolts beeped. "Using-my-tunnels. Are-you-perhaps-interested-in-joining-me-? Are-you-perhaps-looking-to-be-the-ringleader-?"

"W...What?" I frowned. "No, asshole. I'm collecting evidence. Do you...use the vents to get around?"

Monobotto rolled back and forth. "How-else-could-I-easily-navigate-this-place-?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Mind moving away? I need to get back to the others, and you're in my way."

"Fine-then-you-fool." Monobotto turned around. "Good-luck-with-the-trial. It-will-be-quite-foolish. Unless-you-are-willing-to-step-it-up-? Take-the-reigns-? Be-the-leader-you-are-meant-to-be-?"

…

Huh…?

Me...a leader?

Hah...fat chance…

...

...Wait…

I...I need to ask...

"...Hey, bucket of bolts." I pointed to Monobotto. "Answer me this: Is it possible that Ingreis wasn't killed by someone? That means nobody will be executed, right?" I glared at Monobotto, waiting for an answer.

"I-do-not-need-to-answer-that-question-at-this-time." Monobotto beeped. "Please-continue-with-your-investigation."

…

With that, it rolled away, never giving me a response I was looking for.

... _Damn it._

* * *

Climbing back out of the vent, I could see Riko waiting for me. Everyone else...was already gone.

"Kozaki, there you are." She smiled with relief. "The Bottolets told us to go to the elevator. I've been waiting for you."

…

It's...time for the trial.

But no...I'm not ready. Do we...do we even have enough evidence?

...I need to know one more thing.

Riko's account.

"Riko, I need you to tell me everything about you and Ingreis before the...the show." I placed my hands onto her shoulders. "Please. Everything."

Riko closed her eyes to recall her experience. "Well...she had the idea when we were in the Puzzle Room together. She asked me if I wanted to skate with her, mostly because she wanted to be strong for her boyfriend Alestar."

"Boyfriend?" I blinked. "I thought they were just partners?"

"No, she told me." Riko looked to the side. "Hey...let's start walking over so that we're making progress. Otherwise...Monobotto might get angry…"

...Damn it. I wanted to ask her about that wire.

Guess it'll have to wait for the trial.

"R-Right." I nodded, beginning to walk with Riko. "Continue, please."

"She says she...likes to think of him as her boyfriend, but she never actually asked him out. Her parents taught her that the boy has to be the one to confess, so that was what she believed."

"Oh...that's a shame…" I looked down, wondering how anyone would be romantically interested in her. I just...don't see her as the type of person wanting to be in a commitment like that…

"You've already heard about us setting up and all." Riko nodded. "She wanted everything to be perfect, and didn't want anyone touching anything without her overseeing. She...was a perfectionist, after all."

I nodded as well, processing the information. "Alright...can I ask about Soro and Neizami?"

"We pulled them out of Neizami's shift room. She was...super giddy." Riko giggled. "It seems that she really loved her stuff, huh?"

"Yep." I smiled, knowing that I had seen it for myself.

"Neizami was disappointed, and Soro was...quite urked. They both had yet to eat lunch." The clarinetist felt at her cheek. "I tried to convince Ingreis to wait for them, but...she wanted to get things ready right away. I suppose...that's the type of person she is...o-or...was…"

"I see…" I closed my eyes. "...And you got everything set up, just as she wanted?"

"Yeah." Riko nodded again. "It was all going perfectly. But...we did get a little distracted when we heard about what happened to you and Weise."

"S-Sorry for worrying you." I sighed, feeling at my right arm.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Riko smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"...Anything else?" I looked to Riko.

"There is a little more, but..." Riko looked forward. "We're here. Let's save it for...the…"

"...The trial." I finished her sentence. "Right…"

We stopped at the elevator, with everyone else already waiting. Riko looked back to me again. "Hey, Kozaki."

I blinked. "Y-Yeah?"

She smiled, lightly. "Let us help you. You don't need to be burdened by trying to find the answers all by yourself."

I smiled lightly in return. "T...Thank you."

The doors to the elevator slowly opened. Once again, we were being asked to step into the void.

…

Monobotto thinks I'm the leader. That must be why it's targeting me. Because...if everyone sees their leader fail, they'll all lose faith...

…

I can't be the leader. I'll be playing right into that wingnut's mechanical hands.

…

"Let's go, then." I nodded, firmly. "I won't...let my fears control me. We're going to find the truth, and I won't look away."

Everyone exchanged glances, then looking back to me.

"Hey, let's do it then." Sayino nodded.

Zraiko sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Let's get this trial done and over with."

Weise looked up to me, trying to show a smile. "Sil vous plait, Kozaki...w-we'll...find how Ingreis died, oui? A-And...and then nous pouvons move on…"

I smiled to Weise, trying to comfort him. "Sure we will...I...I fucking hope we will…"

Kyohi coughed into his arm.

"...Sorry Kyohi." I sighed, then walking over to the fashion designer. "Weise...don't worry. We'll find the truth...I believe we will."

Weise nodded, silently.

We all walked into the elevator, the doors screeching as they closed.

...My hands...I felt them shaking again.

"Amigo."

I looked over to see Fraize, offering me one of his hands.

"Kozaki."

I looked to my other side, seeing that Riko was offering me one of her hands as well.

…

"Heh...thank you…" I smiled, taking their hands. "Let's...let's go."

They both nodded in response.

I then looked over to see Weise was shaking with nervous energy. I...ran out of hands to offer, but...

"Weise." Riko smiled, offering him her other hand. "Want to hold my hand?"

He smiled lightly, slowly walking over and taking it. "Merci, mon amie…"

...Now...let's face this hellish class trial.

* * *

The doors slowly opened, and there we were again. The trial room.

"There-you-are-you-fools." Monobotto hopped up and down. "Get-to-your-stands. It-is-show-time-!"

I was disturbed by the wording that Monobotto was using...but was it wrong?

...After all...people are watching us.

Let's make sure that this trial will be the last. Let's make sure those people will come help us.

Otherwise...insanity only awaits.

I took in a deep breath as I took my place on the stand.

Yuuta's portrait...and Ingreis's too…

…

I feel like...if I can't get it together...I'll be replaced by a portrait sometime soon…

…

Get it together, Kozaki.

...We have to do this.

We have to find the truth.

Ingreis is dead, and we don't quite know how. Did one of us kill her? I still am not sure.

There's so much about this that isn't quite making sense...we better figure things out soon. Otherwise...we'll all die.

If someone did kill her, I don't want to know. Unfortunately...in this sick game...we have to find the truth. Even if we don't want that truth.

There's no choice...there never was one. We have no choice but to find the truth and confront it.

I'm...as ready as I'll ever be.

"Let's-do-it-then-!" Monobotto spun around in excitement. "Let's-begin-the-trial-!"

 **CLASS TRIAL, START.**

* * *

~Chapter Two, Deadly Life Part One, End~

~Chapter Two, Class Trial Part One, Start~


	12. If we Could Only Fly Trial 1

Cold snow...gently falling from the sky.

I sat by the windowsill, staring out in wonder. A White Christmas...it really was as magical as my parents hyped up. I had seen snow before, but…

…

This snow...it had something...mystical about it.

"Kozaki, sweety!" My mother called from downstairs. "Dinner is ready!"

Christmas dinner was always my favorite. My father would really put his cooking skills to the test. With the help of my mother and uncle, the table was always filled with a meal fit for a king.

My nose was filled with vibrant scents as I descended the stairs.

"Hey, it's the Zakinator!" My uncle grinned, walking over to me. "You're gonna love this. You know how you like mac n' cheese, right?"

I nodded, smiling.

"Close your eyes." He poked me on the nose.

Giggling, I did as he asked of me.

My uncle scooped me up in his arms and dropped me off in one of the chairs of the dining table. I could tell because of how vibrant all the incredible smells were.

"Go on, buddy." My uncle patted me on the head. "Take a look at this!"

I slowly pulled my hands away and gasped. It was...the most wonderful platter of macaroni and cheese I had ever seen in my entire life. So many cheeses, bits of bacon, and incredible herb spices. My mouth was watering as I slowly reached for the casserole.

"Hold on there, buddy." My uncle lightly pulled my chair back. "We shouldn't eat until everyone is seated at the table, right?"

I nodded slowly, eyes still fixed to the incredible mac n' cheese.

The only thing that was able to get me to look away was the ringing of the house doorbell. I leapt out of the chair and rushed to the door, swinging it open.

"Zaki!" Mikanne smiled, giving me a tight hug. "Merry Christmas!"

"Hi Mik!" I giggled, returning the hug.

"Ah, look who's here!" My father walked over to the door. "You're just in time for dinner. Please, come in."

"Thanks, Tet." Mikanne's father smiled, handing a bag of gifts. "Where's the tree?"

"This way." My father led Mikanne's father to the living room.

I took Mikanne by the hand to walk him over to the dining room table. "Look, Mik! You have to see the mac n' cheese!"

"Woaaah." Mikanne stood on his tippy-toes to see the spread of the table. "Zaki, that looks super good!"

"Hehe, I know." I felt my stomach. "I'm really hungry..."

Mikanne and I sat together at the dining table, waiting patiently for everyone to join us.

"Oh, who is this?" My grandmother - Ako - slowly walked over to the table. "Ah...you must be Zaki's friend we've heard about."

My grandfather - Otori - walked over and crossed his arms. He muttered something in Japanese, to which I couldn't understand. I did...hear him say 'Michael' though.

"No, no…" My grandmother turned to her husband. She whispered to him in their native tongue, then looked back over to us. "What's your name, deary?"

"I'm Mikanne." He smiled to my grandmother.

My grandmother took a seat besides my grandfather at the table. "Ah, good to meet you, deary. Zaki told us a lot about you."

"Really?" Mikanne looked over to me.

I giggled. "'Cuz you're my bestest friend ever!"

Mikanne giggled. "Aww. You're my bestest friend ever, Zaki."

Sitting down at the table, we all passed around plates filled to the brink with tantalizing foods.

And yes...the mac n' cheese was amazing.

Walking upstairs, we entered my bedroom. Mikanne and I were going to sleep together for the sleepover. We changed into our pajamas, brushed our teeth, and waited for our mothers to tuck us into bed.

After we received goodnight wishes and kisses, we waited for the door to close. That's when we eagerly climbed out of bed to stay up past bedtime.

"You think we'll find Santa?" I asked, excited.

Mikanne dug into the backpack he had packed his clothes in. He pulled out a camera and set it up to my windowsill. "It has a motion sensor, Zaki. If Santa flies by, we'll find him for sure!

"You think Santa's gonna give us presents, Mik?" I whispered. "I...I tried really hard to be good this year…"

"I'm sure you'll get tons of gifts, Zaki." Mikanne crawled over to me.

We sat together against my bed, facing the window.

"Mik...what did you ask Santa for?" I turned to my best friend, curiously.

Mikanne hugged his knees. "Well...I wanted to get a sketchbook. I wanna draw a lot, Zaki."

I nodded, smiling. "You really like drawing, don't you?"

"Yup!" Mikanne smiled, looking over to me. "Hey, Zaki. What did you ask Santa for?"

I closed my eyes, trying to remember my wish. "I...I wanted Santa to surprise me."

"Really?" He asked.

"Mhm!" I hugged Mikanne. "'Cuz...I already have everything I would want. I have my family, and you're here too!"

"Aww…" Mikanne hugged me back. "That's nice of you, Zaki."

We continued to wait for Santa to come, but it was difficult to stay awake. We tried playing video games, telling stories, even hide and seek. But...we got tired.

It was about half-past-midnight when we both fell asleep on the carpet, dreaming of what the wondrous gifts we would find under the tree in the morning.

* * *

Here we are again. Honestly...it feels surreal. Are we really doing this? Having another trial?

…

But we were. All I had to do was look to the side where Ingreis would've stood. I'm standing between two portraits, placeholders for the lost ones.

Weise and Soro were standing to both sides of Kamiyaki's portrait. Both of them also seemed to be quite disturbed.

...How many more portraits will be replacing people, I wondered.

Will we all...become portraits?

Am I...going to be lost too?

…

Just...take a deep breath. I have to be focused. I...have to find out what happened.

"Now-then. Take-a-few-minutes-to-upload-all-your-truth-bullets." Monobotto spun around once. "And-then-the-wondrous-trial-can-commence-!"

The trial glove was fitted onto my hand, officially marking the beginning of this...this hell ride.

...Time to make some truth bullets.

I'll start with the findings about the handcuffs. I think they might be important, since they were the motive.

Next...the things around the rink. The salt being spilled, the wire, the collected accounts on Ingreis, the findings in the vent, everything that was out of place.

...I...think that's everything.

…

I can't shake off the feeling that...Ingreis was the only one acting strange.

...Why is she dead, then?

…

"You-may-now-submit-your-truth-bullets." Monobotto instructed. "Do-hurry-up."

With a sigh, I tapped on the arrow to upload my bullets. Once again, we formed a ring of deadly color. Some bullets overlapped, just as last time.

…

It's...time to begin.

"Now-then-you-fools." Monobotto hopped up and down. "Let-us-see-if-you-will-make-the-dreadfully-wrong-choice-today-!"

…

Another uneasy wave of silence, just as last time.

…

I looked over to Zraiko, hoping that I could use his body language to guide me. I know he wants me to be the leader...but...I don't think I should be. Instead…

"Riko."

I looked over to see Mest was speaking up. Was he...going to be participating much more this time around?

"You were handcuffed to Ingreis, correct?" Mest felt at his left wrist. "What I would like to know is...how did you manage to not get crushed with her?"

Riko looked to the side, shaking her head slowly. "I...don't know. I feel as though...I should be dead as well. It was too close…"

"A miracle if I've ever seen one." Sayino crossed her arms, nodding. "Just like how your arm got fixed up lickety-split."

"I think Mest has an important point, eh?" Tikari looked over to Riko. "That light...it sure was huge."

"Y-Y-Yeah." Neizami gulped, feeling her scarf. "If Riko was any closer, t-then…"

"She would become a pancake, just like Ingreis." Anne shook her head, tearfully. "And...not the good kind of pancake either, I'm afraid…"

Weise looked down, worriedly. "Non, not the good kind at all…"

I closed my eyes to think for a moment. What should we talk about, hmm…

"Soro, what did the camera capture?" I looked over to the cinematographer.

"I'll take this one." Zraiko crossed his arms, frowning lightly. "Not much, unfortunately. I looked at the footage with extreme caution to find anything suspicious. However...the only thing the camera showed was the light falling from the ceiling."

"Damn it…" I sighed, looking down. I was hoping the footage would've captured something useful. It...would've been too easy if it answered all our questions, huh?

…

Should I ask about the stray wire now?

...No. It feels too soon...I should build up the question.

Then...

Now what?

Oh, that's right!

"Hey, Riko. Could you finish telling me about your experience with Ingreis?" I asked the clarinetist. "I want to...do this just like last time. Starting from the beginning."

"Sure, Kozaki." Riko held her hands together, nodding.

"And...actually…" I felt the back of my head. "...Tell me about what you did in the Puzzle Room, i-in detail please. I don't want to miss anything."

"You got it." She nodded. "The puzzle was a co-op challenge, as Monobotto told. We had to press our backs together and use our legs to crawl through a chasm, as there were two slabs leading across the gap. It was difficult, and our progress was slow…"

"Was there a timer?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms.

Riko shook her head. "No. Just one massive gap...I'd say it was probably a hundred meters long!"

"How long did it take you?" Kyohi asked, interested. "If it was that long...wouldn't you have been exhausted?"

"Oh, we took many breaks." Riko held her hands together. "Mostly because of me. Ingreis was an Olympic skater, so her legs must've been incredibly muscular. Mine...well…" She giggled, sheepishly. "Let's say...I don't need to use my legs much to play clarinet."

Tikari felt at her beanie. "Was she much for conversation?"

"Plenty." Riko sighed. "We talked about back home, how she wanted to see Alestar again as soon as possible. To see her parents, not at all. I...believe her parents dismissed her from the house."

"Dismissed her?" Sayino crossed her arms, seemingly understanding the feeling of tension from her own family. "What for? She was a total perfectionist."

"She was an Olympian who...has yet to even win a single medal." The clarinetist explained. "She had been enrolled to compete for five years, the youngest athlete in figure skating. However...she couldn't even grasp a bronze medal."

"Because...perhaps she had yet to reach her prime?" Anne asked, thoughtfully. "After all...she was quite young."

"I find it...unbelievable that she was an Olympian." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Why didn't she bring it up? She was quite the...proud type."

"Maybe…" I looked down. "Maybe because she didn't want to be asked about winning any medals…"

Neizami gulped and looked down. "I-If her family expelled her because she had yet to win one...i-it would've been a topic she would be pained by…"

...Poor Ingreis. I wish I had known...I would've tried to say something.

Something stupid, since it would be coming from me, but…

I reminded her of Alestar for a moment, someone who she was inspired by…

...If only I could've inspired her, too…

"Then...this whole show fue…" Fraize gulped. "Un metido para comforting her?"

"Regaining her confidencia, creo." Mei crossed her arms with a sigh.

A short silence.

"Yes. Ingreis-Arinama-was-a-foolish-skater. Masking-her-pains-behind-a-confident-grin. No-wonder-her-partner-tried-to-comfort-her-in-her-motive." Monobotto beeped. "A-fool-much-like-you-all."

…

I...never would've thought…

...I'm sorry, Ingreis. I wish I had known...

* * *

Christmas morning was incredible. The snow had settled onto the soil, and the silence that had swept the night had finally risen with the sun.

Mikanne and I rushed down the stairs gripping the camera. A picture had been taken, although we were a bit too hasty to check it. We wanted to open our gifts, to be surprised.

There was nobody downstairs besides my parents, of whom were sleeping voluntarily on the house couches. I ran over to climb up onto their makeshift beds.

"Mom, Mom!" I giggled, shaking my mother gently. "It's Christmas, wake up!"

My mother yawned and turned around on the couch, smiling. "Good morning, sweety...are you excited to see what Santa left you?"

I nodded, eagerly. "Mom, Mom! We took a picture of Santa last night!"

"You did?" She sat up slowly. "Can you show me?"

Mikanne smiled and handed my mother the camera. She couldn't help but giggle upon seeing the picture. "Oh my, I never would've thought Santa was a squirrel all along."

"Huh?" Mikanne blinked, confused.

My mother flipped the camera around to show us the captured image in question. A squirrel squished up against my window, itching to get into the house.

"Aww…" Mikanne looked down, disappointed. "Sorry, Zaki...I was sure this would work…"

I smiled to my best friend, giving him a hug. "It's okay, Mik! There's always next year."

Mikanne giggled and looked to me. "You're right, Zaki."

"Do you boys want to open your presents now?" My mother whispered, careful not to waken my father.

Mikanne and I bounced up and down excitedly.

"Let's wait for everyone to come downstairs, okay?" My mother patted us both on the head. "That way, we can all open our gifts together."

Although it was hard to wait, I didn't want to disappoint my mother. Mikanne and I decided to wait on her couch while she went to the kitchen to whip up a Christmas morning breakfast. It was funny to hear my father snore, and I was filled with energy.

The presents were only a mere ten feet away. I wanted so badly to go and pick one up.

But...I wanted to be a good child. After all, Santa probably started his new nice list for the next coming Christmas.

Finally, everyone came downstairs and stood around the Christmas tree. I wanted to snatch up a present right away, but waited nervously.

"It looks like the Zakinator wants to jump right in." My uncle laughed, arms crossed. "Come on, Tet. Put him out of his misery."

My father sighed with a smile and knelt down besides me. "Go on, son. Pick out a gift."

A smile spread across my face as I dove under the tree. The first gift I picked up was from Mikanne. I peeled off the wrapping to find a toy dinosaur inside. "Woah…"

"Oooh, if you pull open its teeth, it roars!" Mikanne giggled, excitedly.

I did as was instructed of me, the T-Rex giving off an electronic roar. I couldn't help but laugh.

We went through many, many Christmas presents. Wrapping was scattered all over the floor, and soon the tree had nothing left hidden underneath.

"Ah, before I forget!" My uncle grinned, hurrying to the kitchen.

He returned with an unwrapped box, carefully placing it to the ground.

"This is for you, buddy." My uncle patted the box. " _From Santa."_

Cautiously, I stepped forward. I was surprised when the box jolted. Slowly, I mustered the courage to open it. Inside was...a puppy.

"W...Wha... _WHAAAAT?!"_ I screamed out, completely shocked. " _P-P-PUPPY!"_

The adults all laughed to each other while Mikanne was just as flabbergasted.

"M-Mom! Mom look! Dad!" I picked up the puppy carefully, turning to my parents. "It's...it's a puppy!"

"His name is Shiro." My uncle smiled, warmly. "It was quite troublesome for Santa to bring him here from the North Pole, but...I sure hope you'll love him."

I looked to Shiro, him licking my cheek softly. My eyes sparkled, reflecting the hope of my universe.

"There's...oneeee last thing." Mikanne's father smiled, handing matching boxes to my best friend and myself. "Go on, open them."

I gently lowered Shiro to the ground, allowing for him to walk around wherever he pleased. With that, Mikanne and I opened our final gifts. Inside…

...Each of us had matching pairs of ice skates.

* * *

"Riko, continue please." Zraiko adjusted his glasses.

The clarinetist felt at her cheek. "Well...we completed the puzzle and unlocked the exit using Kozaki's key. That's when we found the three precious items. Ingreis seemed to be... disappointed."

"Porque...you didn't find her skates, sí?" Fraize asked.

"Yeah…" Riko took in a quick breath. "Her skates...she really wanted to find them. I...wanted to find my clarinet, so...I would be lying if I said I wasn't upset."

"That's a bit unfair, eh?" Tikari felt at her beanie. "But I suppose...Monobotto is all about being unfair."

"You-know-me-all-too-well." Monobotto beeped with pride.

"...In any case." Mest was looking to drive the conversation. "What time did you finish, and what did you do then?"

Riko sighed and shook her head. "I didn't check the time, but it was long past the night bell. We went to sleep in my room, as Ingreis insisted. Then...woke up maybe an hour before the morning bell." She crossed her arms, reflectively. "We...planned the skating show when we woke up, since Ingreis wanted to have some emotional relief. It was my idea, I...wanted to cheer her up."

"That's very kind of you, Riko." Kyohi smiled, sadly. "I'm...I'm sure Ingreis really appreciated it. I think...she was really happy when she died..."

"Oui…" Weise nodded, slowly. "Ingreis gave her passion her everything, I...admire que..."

Mei shook her head slowly, crossing her arms. "El informe de Bottolet said ella estaba enfocada."

"Ingreis didn't know she was going to die." Sayino nodded, slowly. "Honestly...I think that's the best way for someone to go out, isn't it?"

"Agreed…" Anne sighed, looking down. "I would want my mind to be at ease, atleast…" She felt at her apron. "Perhaps while I am asleep, dreaming of cinnamon buns or gelato…"

We needed a quick change of subject. What should I talk about…?

…

"Riko, about getting ready to prepare for the show." I felt behind my head. "There's...something I find strange..."

"Strange?" Riko blinked, confusedly. "Why is that?"

I sighed, shaking my head slowly. "I just...one of the details is bothering me..."

Time to give this a good think…

 **What's the problem about Ingreis preparing to set up the show?**

I should start with what I know about Ingreis. Let me see here...

An Olympic figure skater from Germany. She was a prideful athlete, at least...that's what she all wanted us to believe.

In order for her to continue improving, she was sure to practice for a long period of time.

That's because...

 **Ingreis was a perfectionist.**

She wanted everything to be broken down perfectly to every detail.

But...something interesting happened.

 **Ingreis asked Soro and Neizami to help much earlier than originally planned.**

...But why? Was she eager to jump right in?

No...I feel like it's something else.

I feel like...there's some other thing I'm missing.

 **If they started sooner, Ingreis would've had more time to prepare for the show.**

More time is always good time, right?

…

But no...I just...something is wrong here.

Why would Ingreis want to have had more time?

…

 **I know what's bothering me now. I need to ask Riko if Ingreis was in a rush, and...why?**

"...Why did you guys start preparations early?" I asked, looking to Soro and Neizami. "You didn't even give your helpers a chance to eat lunch."

"I am still pretty damn hungry, by the way." Soro frowned, arms crossed. "I took a huge shit this morning, and my stomach is empty…"

"Dude...too much info…" Sayino frowned, lightly.

"Honestly...I'm not sure." Riko sighed, looking down. "Ingreis just...had a look in her eyes, you know?"

"A...A look?" Kyohi asked, feeling at his shoulder. "Was it...a good look, or...a bad look?"

"Umm…" Riko shook her head. "Just...it was scary, one that said...not to question her."

...Strange...so strange…

"I hate to be the one to say it, but I believe Ingreis had...not so pleasant intentions." Mest nodded, slowly.

"What do you mean?" Weise asked, worriedly. "Ingreis was helping us all, non?"

The tattoo artist crossed his arms and met Zraiko's eyes. It seems they had an agreement about what Ingreis was up to, but...I was out of the loop.

...They're going to make me say it, aren't they?

Because...just blurting out an answer can cause chaos. They want it to be built up.

...I get it. They're waiting for me to catch up so that I can make sure everyone is on the same page.

Then...why did Ingreis have bad intentions?

I...still don't fully understand it myself.

And...this sparked up a debate.

"That's **bogus** to me." Sayino shook her head. "Ingreis said she was looking to help us feel better."

"Oui! Et plus tot, she tried to help me feel better by taking me skating." Weise puffed his cheeks.

"This whole time, **she was busy making sure her show was perfect."** Anne looked down with a sigh. "I don't see anything wrong with taking extra time…as a patisserie, more time is always beneficial."

Fraize seemed to be skeptical. "Pero...her behavior, fue muy raro…"

"I agree." Mei crossed her arms. "Ingreis was acting diferente a lo usual."

Weise shook his head. "Non, je suis sur, Ingreis was just trying to warm up to us! **She didn't do anything to show she wasn't only trying to nous remonter le moral!"**

I picked up a truth bullet, _Mysterious Salt Spill,_ and shot it to Weise's statement.

" _ **Just one second!"**_

I sighed, shaking my head slowly. The salt spill...I just...couldn't shake it off. This was one of the biggest things I had an issue with…

"K...Kozaki?" Weise asked, worriedly.

"...I'm sorry, Weise. I don't really believe it." I looked to both Zraiko and Mest, making sure I was heading towards where they were thinking. "The salt that was spilled onto the ice, it's just too weird."

"Weird...? Non, it was an accident…" Weise seemed to be upset. "Right, Kozaki…?"

"I agree. After all, I was there when the spill happened." Soro shook his head. "Even a perfectionist can make mistakes. Otherwise...well, I guess Ingreis wasn't a damn human."

I shook my head again. "But she never cleaned it up. That's my problem. She was a perfectionist, there's no way she would let that slide!"

"B-But…" Neizami gulped. "Couldn't she have...f-forgotten about it?"

I looked down, closing my eyes. "No way. It would've bothered her quite a lot." I gulped, feeling worried that I was about to dip into a rabbit hole of no return.

"But...why, Kozaki?" Kyohi asked, not understanding the situation. "Why didn't Ingreis clean it up?"

I looked to Zraiko and Mest again.

...They...the way they're looking at me.

I…

…

I need to think!

 **Why didn't Ingreis just clean up the mess?**

I know that she was interrupted. In fact, I think _this event_ caused a distraction for everyone…

 **Weise and I were just found locked in the library.**

Yes, even the perfectionist Ingreis couldn't have planned for this. So then...did this really cause her to forget about the salt, or...perhaps this led to... _an opportunity?_

…

Because of what happened to Weise and myself, Ingreis could've used the discord as an excuse for forgetting about the salt.

…

But then...that means…

 **Ingreis willingly left the salt on the ice.**

There's no other reason for her to ignore it. As a perfectionist, she would've seen through that the salt was cleaned up. That means...she chose to leave the salt on the ice.

…

Why would she choose to leave the salt on the ice?

And the way she was acting…

…

The biggest problem I have with the salt is…

 **There was an open wire right there.**

That would've been seriously dangerous if the wire had electricity running through.

…

Where did that wire even come from?

...I'll have to do some more digging.

For now, I...the only thing I can reason is...

 **Ingreis left the salt because...she was going to use it somehow, for something…**

And frankly...I'm scared to find out for what.

"I...I honestly don't know why. But...the thing is...Ingreis must've willingly left the salt on the ice." I felt at my right arm. "And...given how a hazard was created right there…"

"...Seems like you're catching on, aren't you?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Should I take it from here?"

I looked over to the hacker, worriedly. "What do you mean?"

"Ingreis willingly laid a trap onto the ice." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Upon closer investigation of the rink...it's quite startling to see what she had planned."

"What she...had planned?" Neizami asked, not following.

"I'll start with this simple question." Zraiko looked over to Soro. "Your instructions, could you read them out?"

Soro raised an eyebrow. "I mean...are you saying I'm a fuckin' illiterate or what?"

"Just…" Zraiko frowned. "Read the paper."

"Fine, fine…" Soro rolled his eyes, picking up a truth bullet that contained the information on the instructions. He read through each line slowly and clearly, making sure we all understood.

"Now then…" Zraiko turned to all of us. "You tell me what's wrong with these instructions."

This caused a flurry of theories as we each tried to break down every line.

" _ **Turn the lights off for a while, then turn on the spotlight."**_ Anne felt at her apron, thoughtfully. "Well...that certainly didn't happen."

"I-I take responsibility for that…" Neizami looked down, feeling her scarf. It seems she was ashamed. "I messed up that part…"

" _ **Once we get to the finale, as I described before…"**_ Sayino crossed her arms trying to process the instructions. "This part seems fine."

Weise nodded, thoughtfully. "Oui, I think c'est juste."

I crossed my arms, adding to the flow of words. " _ **Turn on the LEDs…"**_

" _ **At that final jump, do the flash."**_ Kyohi finished, feeling at his shoulder.

...Hmm...I wonder...what was Zraiko talking about?

" _ **Espera, por favor!"**_

I was surprised to see...Fraize shoot down my words. "H-Huh?"

"Lo siento, amigo." Fraize held up a truth bullet. "I realized...esta una problema grande."

The truth bullet read, _Ice Rink Walls._

"Seems our Spanish friend caught up." Zraiko chuckled. "He's right, Kozaki. There's a big problem with that part of the instructions...and the thing is…" He looked to Fraize, expectantly.

Fraize gulped, nodding. "S-Sí...amigo, the rink does not have any LED lights…"

Wh...what?

That's...that's really weird…

"Then...why would Ingreis…" I looked down, trying to process the information.

"...When we flipped the LED switch…" Mest spilled the beans. "...The stray cable started to spark."

W...Wait…

...Then...does that mean…?

My eyes slowly widened. "...No way…"

"Do you see it now, Kozaki?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "The reason why Ingreis was acting so suspicious?"

I gulped, looking up. "...I-I think I do…"

"Wanna clue us in?" Sayino asked, leaning in lightly. "I'm all ears...well…" She chuckled, awkwardly. "I would look pretty terrifying if I was made of ears." She then coughed, shaking it off. "What are you thinking, Kozaki?"

…

This...this could change everything.

"The...the thing is...I think Ingreis…" I closed my eyes.

…

…

…

" _ **Ingreis was planning a murder."**_

* * *

"Qu...qu... _quoi?!"_ Weise asked in disbelief. "N-Non, that's impossible!"

"I...I can't even explain every little detail, but...it's pointing right to that direction." I sighed, looking down. "I...I wish I had more evidence, but…"

"No need." Zraiko pointed to Weise. "Our resident fashion designer has already seen the evidence himself."

"I...I have?" Weise asked, surprised.

Mest turned to me, helping to keep me caught up. "We had a closer check on the ice rink while you were in the back room...and what was interesting was...the ice skates."

"What do you mean?" I looked to the tattoo artist, blinking.

Mei spoke up, providing information on what she witnessed as Zraiko had conducted his thorough investigation. "Arinama's skates had very thick caucho under her feet. Vayrne pointed this out. Sin embargo...Hamoizumi's skates…"

"Metal plates, as well as every other pair." Tikari nodded.

Riko held her hands together, worriedly. "Well...Ingreis told me that these skates weren't comfortable, so that's why she put the rubber in."

Zraiko chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course she would lie to _you_ about it."

"W-Wh...what does that mean?" Riko's lip quivered.

"...Well, Kozaki?" The hacker turned to me. "Tell her."

…

This...this changed everything…

Not even just about this trial, but about who Ingreis was as a person.

…

"Riko…" I gulped, looking her in the eyes. "I...I think Ingreis...was trying to kill you."

A grizzly silence. Riko looked down, quite petrified.

Yes...the instructions she left behind, and...perhaps her routine with Riko that they practiced so much. She wanted these events to be perfect...so they would line up just right…

...And have Riko skate over the electric ice, killing her.

She must've used the extra wiring in the back room to run it through the controls all the way to the ice of the rink, making a small crack in the wall to slip it through.

Then...using the camera film, she could've created 'evidence' to prove why she wasn't the culprit...since the camera couldn't see the salt and wire on the ice...

…

And...because of the handcuffs being made out of a non-conductive material, and...because of the rubber in her skates...Ingreis wouldn't have been shocked.

…

Slowly...we all finally caught up to Ingreis's plan.

…

Well...not all of us...

...There was one person who just couldn't believe it. One person who was in denial…

…

"Non, non. This...C'est tout a misunderstanding!" Weise shook his head. "You...you must've made a mistake!"

"Weise, I…" I didn't know what to tell him. It was clear to me that he was distressed by this. After all...Ingreis inspired him...

"Ingreis...she didn't even have a reason to do such une chose terrible!" Weise pointed at me. "Vous...Vous must've messed up something!"

...It's true. I don't know _why_ Ingreis would've done it, but…

"It-seems-you-two-are-going-to-engage-in-a-Truth-Bullet-Quick-Draw." Monobotto beeped, observantly. "Let-us-get-it-started-!"

And so the podiums were moved around, leaving me to face Weise. He seemed to be very nervous, and...also afraid.

...I don't know what to tell him...but...I have to show him the truth.

With our life points and truth bullets allotted, Monobotto hopped up and down. "Let-us-begin!"

The first question was launched into the air.

 **What is the piece of evidence that brings question to Ingreis's intentions?**

I reacted quickly, _Mysterious Salt Spill_ being the truth bullet of my choice. Weise seemed to be startled, unsure of how to react.

 **What was other piece of evidence is out of place?**

Weise tried to shoot a truth bullet, but he was too slow. I shot at him my own bullet, _Rubber in the Skates._

 **What piece of evidence shows Ingreis had malicious intentions?**

Weise fumbled, unable to choose a bullet. I shot another one, _Lighting Instructions._

 **If Ingreis was planning a murder, what was the motive?**

Slowly, Weise reached over to pick up a truth bullet. It was labeled, _Handcuffs Motive._ He attempted to shoot it at me, but...he was incorrect, and it hurt him.

…

If the handcuffs weren't Ingreis's motive, then...does that mean?

…

The real motive for Ingreis's crime was the…

 _Loved One's Call Motive._

" _ **Bullseye!"**_

The podiums were set back in order as I took a moment to process everything.

She spoke so highly of Alestar...but for all we know...Alestar could've told Ingreis to…

...To kill someone and escape, so that they could be together again…

I looked up to see Weise crying softly, he still...he still didn't want to believe it…

Silently, Mest leaned over towards Weise and offered him a hug. The young fashion designer burst into tears and squeezed him tightly.

...Ingreis...played him for a fool. She played all of us…

...No wonder the Bottolet report didn't mention her mental files. Her...two-faced nature…

"I wonder...how did she know what the cuffs were made of?" Anne felt at her cheek. "It's like getting a mystery cake, not knowing the flavors inside until you cut it open."

"Oh-that-does-sound-sweet." Monobotto rolled around. "But-I-did-not-receive-any-cake-of-the-sort."

"Monobotto...eras tú?" Fraize gulped, feeling the back of his head.

"You-silly-fool. I-saw-the-look-in-her-eyes. The-look-of-having-thirst-to-spill-blood." Monobotto hopped up and down. "How-could-I-deny-her-?"

…

Damn it.

"I just...I never realized that those were her thoughts." Tikari gulped. "That...Ingreis was two-faced. It's a shock, eh?"

"...Just as I thought." Zraiko nodded, then turning to Monobotto. "Hey, scrap-head."

Monobotto glared to the hacker, cold to the title.

"You recorded all our conversations, didn't you?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "That camera pointed right at my face was hard to miss. Why don't you go and show us Ingreis's video?"

"I-am-not-taking-any-commands-from-you-fool." Monobotto turned away.

Hmm...maybe I can come up with a way to get that wingnut to show us her video…?

I rolled my eyes, smugly ginning. "I guess we just have _too many viewers_ watching, so we don't need any more drama."

Riko giggled, joining in. "Oh yes, it would be _such a shame_ if we had more viewers."

"After all…" Soro twisted his cap lightly. "More viewers means... _more money…"_

Monobotto slowly turned back to us. "...I-have-received-new-instructions. I-will-now-play-the-video-of-the-call."

I felt at my right arm anxiously as the screens around the trial grounds began to flicker, displaying Ingreis sitting composed in the conference chair.

* * *

People of two faces...it is as though there is another person living within their minds. A persona kept in private, unfortunately...not always friendly.

...My uncle was like this.

I remember when I first met my uncle, how social he was to me.

"Woah, are you Tet's little boy?" He asked, smiling. He knelt over and gently extended out a hand. "Hey there, buddy. I'm your Uncle Haiji. What's your name?"

I was so very young at the time, and incredibly shy to strangers. I slowly took his hand, whispering to him my name.

"Ah, I see!" He nodded, grinning. "Hey, don't be shy now. We're family, you know?"

I looked up to him, smiling lightly.

"You could use a fun little nickname. I think it'll help to make us good friends." My uncle looked to the side for a moment. "How does...the Zakinator sound?"

Blinking, I tilted my head in confusion. The title was...kinda funny.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll grow warm to it!" My uncle stood up, then walking into the living room. It seems he wanted to kick back and relax.

I...followed my uncle into the room, wanting to learn more about the man just introducing himself into my life.

"So, buddy." My uncle took a seat by the coffee table, waiting for my parents to join him. "Do you know much about your family?"

I shook my head, silently.

"Your dad is from Japan." My uncle beamed with pride. "It's across the whoooole world, you know? But it sure is a great place!"

Slowly, I took a seat besides my uncle, looking to hear more about Japan.

For the longest time, I thought of my uncle as a very...very nice and prideful man. He always made me smile, giggle...I really liked being around him.

But then...that night...that night when he was expelled from the family…

…

It was like...it wasn't really him…

"Umm...Uncle Haiji?" I asked, looking up to my uncle. "I want to have a job like yours one day. One that earns a lot of money."

"Do you?" He asked, turning to me.

I smiled. "Yeah, so that I can give my family nice things, too!"

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "Ah, I see."

A pause.

"...Uncle Haiji...what...is your job?" I asked him, blinking.

He slowly looked back to me, smiling. "I'm helping to run a TV show in Japan, buddy."

"That sounds super cool! What's it called?" I asked, eyes twinkling now.

He looked away for a moment, then shaking his head slowly. "I don't think I should tell you, buddy."

"Aww…" I looked down.

He then slowly reached to stroke my hair, whispering to me. "But...one day, when you're older...I can save a slot just for you. The show...it's a very special contest. If you win...you'll be well off for life."

"Really?" I looked up to my uncle. "You'll save a spot for me?"

"Only if you want me to." He nodded, then looking away. "Don't tell your parents."

My smile slowly faded. "W...Why?"

"They don't like this show. I...haven't even told them I work on it." He closed his eyes. "Zakinator, let this be our secret."

"But…" I looked down, insecurely.

He slowly leaned in...speaking harshly to me. "Do as I ask, got it? Some things need to stay secret."

I was frightened, my lip quivering. I was on the verge of tearing up.

He slowly composed himself. "...You're a smart boy, buddy." He slowly stood up from the couch. "I'll save a seat for you, if you want."

Because I was still afraid, I gave an answer he would want to her. "Y-Yes. S-Save me a seat, Uncle Haiji…"

He turned back to me, smiling. "...You'll be a wonderful addition to the cast."

* * *

I held my breath as Ingreis began to speak with the one named Alestar. It...all seemed to be fine at first.

"Alestar...it's good to speak with you again." Ingreis smiled, warmly. "I think I've lost quite a bit of myself since I've been away…"

"It's been too long, my dear." Alestar's voice spoke. "I do hope you are somehow well."

"Unfortunately...it's not quite so well." Ingreis crossed her arms, sighing. "I think this silly death game has given me enough 'fun' for a lifetime."

"It sounds like you're in a pretty tricky situation, huh?" Alestar asked her.

"Yeah, this place is a madhouse." Ingreis shook her head. "And the other people here drive me a little crazy."

"I feel you. A lot of these people are...frankly idiots." Alestar commented, simply.

...Wow. Thanks for the compliment, buddy.

"Oh yeah, and a lot of others are complete pushovers." Ingreis nodded, rolling her eyes. "But...what can you do?"

Alestar paused for a moment. "...Have you ever thought of...trying to escape?"

"You mean kill someone?" Ingreis asked, coldly. "Please. I'm not going to stoop down to that level. It would make that robot psycho quite pleased…"

"The look in your eyes, my dear, it's telling a different story." Alestar pointed out. "You look as though you have considered it at least once."

"Well...I simply have the restraint to stop myself." Ingreis closed her eyes. "These are still people with their own lives."

"Don't allow yourself to fall into temptation." Alestar warned her. "Ingreis, I can wait for you. I would much rather wait for many years than for you to come home with the blood of many innocent people splattered on your hands."

Ingreis paused for a moment. "...I understand, Alestar."

"...You aren't listening, are you?" Alestar asked, disappointed. "Please, my dear, don't do something you will regret."

Ingreis made eye contact with the camera, even though she could not see her beloved. "I hear you."

"When you come home, let's go skating together again, just the two of us." Alestar offered, politely. "Okay? No Olympics, no competition, no medals. Just you and I on the ice."

"Okay…" Ingreis closed her eyes.

A brief silence.

"...Alestar." Ingreis opened her eyes slowly.

"Yes, my dear?" He asked.

She then looked down, smiling lightly. "...It's nothing."

"...Ingreis." He sighed. "...Please, don't kill someone."

She slowly stood up from her seat, smiling much more. "I will do what I see is needed. Goodbye, my love."

And with that...the call ended.

Alestar didn't want her to kill anyone.

But…

...It seems...this was her own choice. Seeing her lover again gave her the motivation...to try and escape to be with him again.

…

"Can we finally address el elefante in the room?" Mei asked, impatiently. "Ingreis is _dead._ "

"That's right." Sayino gulped. "Her murder plan turned into a plan for her own murder! I'm gobsmacked by that, really."

I crossed my arms, thinking. Yes...that's right. Ingreis is the one who ended up dead, even though she was planning a murder. Why is that?

Another debate began.

"Are you sure her death wasn't an **accident?"** Soro asked, arms crossed. "It could've been absolute shit luck."

"But if it was...what were the odds that Riko survived?" Anne gulped, shaking her head slowly. "Lower odds than having a perfect souffle rise…"

Neizami shook her head. "B-But why would any one k-kill her?" She gulped. "Nobody had a reason to!"

"Sí. No pienso que anyone knew her plans…" Fraize crossed his arms, thoughtfully.

" **An accident is the only thing that makes sense here, eh?"** Tikari asked, feeling her beanie. "Perhaps...a good accident, one that saved Riko."

Riko gulped, holding her hands together. " **But an accident like this seems too perfect…"**

" _ **Looks like you're actually thinking!"**_

We looked over to see Zraiko shoot a bullet to Riko's statement. It was labeled, _Light Wires._

"Surely you all must've noticed what happened to the light's wires." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Come on, then." He pointed to me. "Tell them, Kozaki."

I gulped, feeling from behind my head. "M-Me? U-Uhh…"

I closed my eyes for a while, needing to have a deep think about this.

 **What's the problem with the light's wires?**

...The wires were burnt out, and...torn.

 **What could've caused this to have happened?**

Knowing Zraiko...he's looking for an answer besides 'the light glitched out and gave up on life' or some shit.

…

Is he thinking…

Someone made the light fall onto Ingreis?

 **What evidence shows that someone messed with the light?**

...The temperature during the show was steadily decreasing. The...snow machine was supposed to be working, but I never actually saw any snow.

…

Did the snow machine...cause the electrical hardware in the light to malfunction?

And...there's something else…

 **What piece of evidence shows someone made the light fall?**

...The...the cracked pipe. It would've made those rugged tears.

Then...does that mean…?

...I...I really wasn't paranoid all along…

"Zraiko...are you saying...someone tore into the wires, used the snow machine to fry the light...and then cut it from the ceiling completely to make it to fall onto Ingreis?" I asked, feeling at my right arm.

"Exactly that, but…" He shook his head. "Let's skip the ambiguities. There are only two people who could've done that, and I think we all know too well."

I gulped as Zraiko glanced over to the two suspects. He seemed as though he wanted _me_ to be the one to make the move.

I shook my head, slowly. "No...I can't…"

The hacker sighed and nodded, simply. "Alright, I'll be the one to say it." He tapped into his podium and put up his two green ring suspicious placeholders.

Both of them looked like deer in the headlights.

"The only people who had the opportunity to commit the crime are Soro and Neizami." Zraiko announced.

A tense silence. The two exchanged glances, both of them uneasy.

They were caught, red handed.

…

But...how?

And...hold on…

"Alright, escúpelo." Mei pointed to the two. "Which one of you did it? Tell us, and this whole trial estupido puede terminar."

They exchanged glances again.

"No, I'm not the kind of person to rat out someone." Soro frowned, feeling at his cap. "You'll have to find out for yourself."

"Don't be a cheeky fucker!" Mei spat. "Quiero el tribunal ends now!"

"Fuck you!" Soro pointed to her. "You don't have anything to worry about!"

Neizami was feeling at her scarf, pale. She didn't know what to say, she was...terrified…

…

"We have to find the truth." Zraiko sighed, shaking his head. "If you won't tell us, we'll drag the answer out of you."

"Fuck off!" Soro growled.

"U-Umm...excuse me, but...in theory...wouldn't the culprit be...the one spewing such foul language…?" Anne felt at her apron.

Soro turned to her, pointing with a frown. "You...can shut your mouth."

Who did it?

Who...who ended Ingreis's life?

Was it Soro...or was it Neizami?

Is there any way to prove it?

…

Wait…

What if it wasn't Soro _or_ Neizami?

…

What if...it was…

Soro... _and_ Neizami?

Could they both...be the blackened?

I gulped, turning to Zraiko. It seems he, too, had considered this.

"Guys...what if we have this wrong?" Kyohi asked, hand raised. "If they both can't say _who_ did it...does it mean they're...both guilty?"

"No way…" Sayino gasped, eyes wide. "That...that's something I didn't even think about…"

"I think...I think it could be this…" Anne gulped, holding her hands together timidly.

"N-Non...please!" Weise shook his head, only just recovering from his broken heart. "Please, that can't be right...we can't have even _more_ people be killed!"

"...Although his reasoning is naive…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "...I agree with Weise, I believe there is only one culprit."

"No, p-please. It was us!" Neizami tapped her fingertips together. "We...we both did it…"

"Sorry, hermana. I don't believe it." Mei shook her head.

"Split-are-you-? Two-different-possible-answers. Only-one-is-valid." Monobotto spun around, excitedly. "You-fools-are-lucky-I-have-the-solution-to-your-issue."

"You mean that...crumb debate, right?" Sayino asked, feeling the back of her head.

Monobotto sprouted an arm to point at her. "Fool-! Absolute-fool-! Do-not-disrespect-the-art-that-is-the-scrum-debate-!"

"R-Right…" Sayino looked down, gulping.

Monobotto pressed a button at its throne, causing the podiums to rise into the air.

...Here we go again, huh?

On my side stood myself, Riko, Zraiko, Weise, Mei, Mest, and Fraize. On the other side stood Soro, Sayino, Tikari, Kyohi, Anne, and Neizami.

 **Is there only one culprit to blame for the murder?**

 **No -**

 **\- Yes**

 **Debate scrum, start!**

* * *

We're about to find ourselves with another unpleasant truth.

But...this time...I feel less afraid.

Not because I don't care about what will happen to the blackened. Deep down inside, I don't want anyone to die.

But…

…

I have to take in a deep breath. We have to find the truth to survive.

I can't deny...the evidence that is in front of me.

Whatever I find...I'll have to accept.

…

I'll have no choice but to accept the death of another one of my friends.

…

And...I hate that…

…

But it's either them, or us. I'm sorry...but I have to do this.

...I have to believe...that everything will somehow turn out okay.

…

We will survive this class trial! Then, I'll get out of this hellish place!

…

And...I'll find you, Mikanne. I swear...when I get out of here, I'm going to stop being afraid.

I'm going to find you, so please...just wait a little bit longer.

* * *

~Chapter Two, Class Trial Part One, End~


	13. If we Could Only Fly Trial 2

In history we learned about the greatest, most tragic event in human history. It was called…

...The Faceless Earth's War.

A war to decide what country would rise as the planet's leader as humanity made the leap into colonizing space. It took place eighty-four years ago, and every country had at least touched the war in some way.

...There were no winners in that war. The global economy was wrecked, death tolls were in the millions...there was nothing but ruin.

In the midst of all the destruction, a sort of agreement was found. Several countries were declared leading icons on Earth.

France became the global economic center, arguably the wealthiest country in the world. All the creative minds and entrepreneurs went to France to try and make it big.

England became an industrial masterpiece with the teamwork of Germany, inventing the most incredible things.

Russia became the military capital, breaking into seven districts to which each focused on a different aspect of weaponry.

Countries like China, Korea, and Japan became computer and programming giants. Going to those countries was like going into a motherboard.

The last country to take a leadership role was the US. With all seventy-seven states, my home country is a master at space tech. Major space-travel companies are there, and all the plans of colonization are run through the US government.

We've made several space stations, even colonizing the moon and Mars. Our next step was to start moving into the Asteroid Belt and colonize the many asteroids there, or...rather the ones that could be controlled to prevent them from crashing and killing everyone living there…

It was during this war when the series _Danganronpa_ began. A cruel form of entertainment, applicants taken to participate all shared one thing in common: A lack of faith in humanity. These people did not believe in the survival of humans because of the war, and were willing to...reduce themselves into being merely an entertainment for others.

They didn't teach about _Danganronpa_ in class. The show became illegal after all. It was up to myself to see...what it was all about, what did it all mean…

The war was over by the time season eleven rolled in, but there was a large public demand to keep the series going. People loved _Danganronpa,_ they craved it. And so...it was given to them, just as they wished.

And when the show came to an abrupt end at season fifty-three...well...let's just say…

…

Things got very interesting politically…

…

An international campaign to erase _Danganronpa_...forever.

* * *

One of Monobotto's favorite parts of the trial, the...scrum debate. Why? Well…

It seems this has a reputation of having some real drama.

Though...I don't want to give that bucket of bolts any form of satisfaction.

"Let's do this in an orderly manner, as last time." Zraiko nodded, arms crossed. "What say you?"

"Sounds good." Sayino nodded, giving a thumbs up.

Kyohi felt at his shoulder, nodding as well. "Gosh...I wonder why it's even called a scrum de-"

"You fuckers better believe that Neizami and I did this together!" Soro spat out.

The hockey player blinked, looking down. "O-Oh…"

"Finally-! Some-actual-arguing-! You-fools-have-been-so-boring-!" Monobotto hopped up and down on is throne.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. We won't get anything done if we just yell at eachother.

"Let me tell you something, hermano." Mei frowned, pointing at the cinematographer. "You are muy loco! Es imposible que you both are responsible, no esta a rule for multiple killers."

Neizami shook her head. "W-What's stopping Monobotto from just making up a rule? I-It even said it can add rules whenever it sees fit!"

"It would be very rude of Monobotto to not tell us what the rules are." Weise puffed his cheeks. "Non! If it's supposed to be followed, it needs to be said!"

"Monobotto has a set of its own rules that it keeps to itself. What if this is just one of those secret rules?" Sayino asked, feeling at her head.

Riko shook her head, holding her hands together. "But if the rule is a concern to us, we should've known about it for the start."

"But...besides the rules…" Kyohi looked to the side. "What if the wire was cut by both of them at the same time? Wouldn't that make them both to blame?"

I gulped, looking down. "The air ducts were super tight. I...don't think it's possible for them both to have been side-by-side because of the lack of space."

"Is that the only way both could be to blame, eh?" Tikari felt at her beanie. "What if all it needed to be was a cooperative effort?"

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "I believe the blackened is the one who is directly responsible for the murder. Even if it was their plan, the credit of the kill would go to whoever made the light fall."

Anne felt at her apron. "But...shouldn't the credit go to whoever planned the murder? If they planned it together, then...they're both guilty."

"No creo que the plans matter to Monobotto." Fraize crossed his arms and tilted his head. "It would count el traidor as the person con manos bloody."

"You dumbasses don't have shit to prove we didn't work together!" Soro frowned, gripping his cap.

Mest crossed his arms, shaking his head lightly. "While we may not be able to disprove your cooperation...there is certainly a way to prove who is the one with stained hands."

And so...our voices joined together to deliver one, unified message. " _ **There is only one culprit to this murder, and we'll prove it! This is our answer!"**_

Monobotto hopped up and down, seemingly amused. "I-like-your-energy-this-time-! But-please. More-tearing-at-each-other's-throats-next-time-fools."

That sick robot...it acts as if it _knows_ there's going to be another murder.

...I…

I can't let that happen. There has to be an end to this!

The podiums were slowly lowered to the ground, with Soro and Neizami insecurely looking to each other. They both know who the killer is...but they just don't want to throw each other under the bus…

"Let me get this straight." Zraiko pointed to the pair. "It was when the lights were turned off for the last time when you two went into the vent. According to Kozaki, the vents were not so volumetric. That means you both had to enter one at a time."

"T-That's true…" Neizami gulped.

"That means you couldn't have fit side-by-side." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "And so...only one of you could've cut the wire. So fess up. Who did it?"

...No response.

"...Fine then." The hacker sighed, taking off his glasses and feeling at his temple. "I get you're trying to protect each other, but you _did_ decide to murder someone."

...That's...that's it!

"Hey, tell me this." I looked to the pair. "Why...why did you kill Ingreis?"

Soro frowned, feeling his cap. "Does it matter?"

"If the crime was premeditated...it would be important to know." Mest crossed his arms.

Neizami sighed, tapping her fingertips together. "Well...we found out about Ingreis's plan to kill Riko by accident. It was...shortly before you and Weise walked over to us, so...w-we had to act fast."

"Rapido...how?" Fraize asked, feeling behind his head. "You didn't have mucho tiempo…"

"That's why we thought...then and there... **we had to kill her."** Soro frowned.

" _ **Hold on a minute!"**_ I called out, using the truth bullet, _Lighting Instructions_.

"What's wrong, Kozaki?" Kyohi asked, feeling his shoulder.

I frowned, shaking my head. "What's wrong is the fact that...they didn't have to kill Ingreis to stop her plan!" I pointed to Neizami. "Why...why didn't you just chose not to follow the instructions?! If...If you knew that it would've killed Riko...why…?!"

Soro frowned, pointed to me. "Hey, how do you know whether or not the bitch would've tried to kill someone else?! Sure it would've stopped her right there, but who's to say it would stop her forever?"

"So you fucking killed her because of that?!" I was quickly growing angered. Ingreis...she didn't have to die at all. I-I...I don't understand why…! "Why didn't you tell us all what she was planning?!"

In the background, Monobotto was imitating the action of eating popcorn. It seems it was enjoying this…

"Well for your information, _asshole,_ it wasn't _MY_ idea to kill Ingreis!" Soro gritted his teeth, pointing to Neizami. "She was the one who came up with the whole idea!"

Neizami bit her lip, looking away in shame.

I had to take a few moments to catch my breath.

...Stay focused...calm down…

"Y-Yes. It was my idea." Neizami felt at her scarf, frowning. "I came up with the whole plan. Ingreis...Ingreis is dead because of me."

* * *

"Daisuke has a point." Mei crossed her arms, frowning. "Was Arinama's life...vale la pena?"

"Creo que...la vida...it's precious." Fraize looked down, sadly. "No es justo para Ingreis...morir…"

Sayino sighed, shaking her head slowly. "We could've...I dunno...locked her up somewhere until she promised not to kill anyone? This...this is pretty gobsmacking that you decided to kill her just like that…that's a load of poppycock if I've ever seen any!"

Anne nodded, gulping. "The choice to kill Ingreis...was brash. R-Rubbish even…"

"Can you all just shut up?" Soro frowned, trying to stick up for Neizami. "You don't know the pressure we were under! Ingreis...Ingreis was fucking using us!"

...That's...that's true…

They must've reacted in this way because of the shock of suddenly learning...they were being used for murder...

"...Let me ask…" Zraiko pointed to Monobotto. "Hey, screw-head. If Ingreis hypothetically succeeded in her plan, would she have been the blackened?"

The soccer ball of bolts spun around slowly, calculating its answer. " **No."**

" _ **Hold on a minute!"**_ I pointed to Monobotto. "You need to explain this in more detail, bucket of bolts!"

"Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto stared at me with its cold, glassy eyes. "Please-do-not-shout-at-me. It-annoys-me. You-annoy-me-enough-already."

I frowned, crossing my arms. "My poor feelings…"

"But...no?" Kyohi blinked, feeling at his right shoulder. "But...but she planned it…"

"The-blackened-is-the-last-person-to-cause-fatal-damage-to-the-victim." Monobotto slowly pointed to Neizami. "In-that-case-the-one-who-flipped-the-LED-switch-and-caused-the-electric-flow-would-be-to-blame. That-title-would-go-to-Neizami-Otomaeda."

Neizami gulped, looking down.

"Then Arinama's plan was all mierda!" Mei gritted her teeth, shaking her head.

"Ingreis wouldn't even have escaped if we got the blackened wrong. She would've been executed with us." I crossed my arms, looking to the side. "Her whole plan was just a bunch of bullshit. It would've thrown two people under the bus if we chose the blackened correctly."

"Dunce-suke, you don't have to blurt out things nosotros already know." Mei rolled her eyes.

I gulped, looking down. "S...Sorry…"

"So that means...even if Neizami planned the murder, she may not be the killer." Mest nodded, slowly.

"But…" Riko held her hands together. "How may we tell which one of them killed Ingreis?"

Weise puffed his cheeks, raising a hand. "We sing ennuyeux songs until they say who did it?"

"Weise, please." Zraiko frowned, turning to the fashion designer. "Don't-"

"I'll never give you away, nor will I leave you down!" Weise began to...attempt to sing. It was more of him...yelling the lyrics out. "I will never leave you alone in the desert! You will never cry, as I'll never say goodbye! Jamais je ner-"

"WEISE!" The hacker fumed. "ENOUGH!"

Weise gulped and puffed his cheeks, looking down sadly. "...D'accord, I'm sorry..."

...

So then...how can we determine who the culprit is?

...Wait.

What if...instead of trying to prove who could've committed the crime...I try to prove who couldn't have?

...I'll need a little more information first.

"Soro." I looked over to the cinematographer. "Tell me this: When you both entered the air vent, were you in the front?"

"Oh, yeah." Soro shrugged. "Neizami is scared of the dark, so she asked me to go first."

Neizami fumbled with her scarf in embarrassment.

…

Then…

" **I don't think this is important."** Sayino crossed her arms. "No need to pressure her over a phobia."

"I wouldn't think too quickly here." Zraiko pushed up his glasses.

"But...what's so special about the order, sweety?" Anne looked to the hacker.

"Simply put... **I think the order has the answer we've been looking for."** Zraiko nodded, arms crossed.

"It...does?" Kyohi asked, tilting his head. "Gosh...I don't see how…"

...The order…

…Ah!

" _ **I think that's it!"**_

I showed my truth bullet in hand, _Vent Volume._ "Yes, the order does matter!"

"...It seems our friend Kozaki will be explaining this one." Zraiko nodded. "Tell them."

"The vents were so tight, I could barely manage to turn around." I explained. "So...because Soro is a bit...wide…"

Soro frowned, arms crossed.

"He wouldn't have been able to turn around, especially while being cuffed to Neizami." I finished.

"Okay, great!" Sayino grinned. Her grin slowly faded. "Wait...so...does that mean…"

"Exactly that." Zraiko nodded.

"Yes, I do think it does…" Riko gulped.

Weise nodded. "O-Oui…"

Mest felt at his left wrist. "Indeed…"

"Ah, yes!" Kyohi smiled, awkwardly. "What...does that mean?"

…

Well…

What does that mean?

It means only one thing.

…

 **Select a suspect.**

* * *

…

Here we go again.

I'm about to...seal the fate of another one of my friends.

...I don't want to do this. I don't want any other person to die here.

But...there's no choice. We have to survive.

…

I should've known right away, when I saw your clothes ripped in the vent.

I just...was too afraid…

...I was hoping I was only paranoid, but…

...

I'm sorry…

I don't want to have another execution, believe me. I don't want anyone else to die. I want to save us…

...But...calling you out is the only way to save us all. I'm sorry, so sorry…

…

Please...I hope you can forgive me for this.

Forgive me for...calling you out.

Forgive me for...sending you to your death.

…

Forgive me…

I don't...have a choice.

…

Please. Let this be the end.

Let it end these killings and class trials.

Let it end this cycle...this insanity.

Let your death...be the last…

* * *

" _ **It has to be you."**_

…

There was silence in the air as a single, coral ring surrounded him.

He chuckled, taking off his cap. "Damn. You're a smart one, Kozaki. 'Course, you solved a murder already. I had no doubt you would do it again."

"You...aren't denying it?" I asked, biting my lip.

Soro shook his head. "Nah. I was never trying to 'win' or anything. I knew what I was getting into…" He crossed his arms with a sigh. "When I...cut the wire."

...A silence. A cold, unnerving silence...

"I don't want any of you to get this wrong. I did it." Soro frowned. "You all hear me?"

Kyohi gulped, looking away. Weise twiddled his fingers. Riko's lip quivered.

...Everyone was...very uncomfortable.

"Just vote already." Soro sighed once more, putting on his cap. "Put me out of my misery, damn it. I'm tired of lying about it. I said it before, when Yuuta died. Admitting that you killed someone...it's a fucking nightmare." He forced a smile. "Well...here we are now, and I've killed someone. I'm admitting it, damn it! So vote now!"

…

A cold...shrill silence…

And...and then...

"N-No!" Neizami cried out, shaking her head defiantly. "This is...t-this is all wrong!"

"N...Neizami?" I asked, worriedly.

Neizami pointed at me, hand shaking. "Soro...Soro isn't responsible for this! You can't do this!"

...Neizami…

…

No. This isn't about who planned the murder. This is why Ingreis wouldn't have been the blackened if her crime succeeded. Because...it's about who actually caused the death directly.

…

I'll have to get through to her, right here and now.

" _ **I'll open your eyes, you better believe it!"**_

"I-Ingreis was going to kill Riko!" Neizami felt at her scarf. "W-Why can't you give us some credit for saving her?!"

I shook my head. "You didn't have to kill Ingreis to stop her!"

"A-And how do you know she wouldn't have have tried to kill someone again?!" Neizami yelled out. "S-She could've just tried again later! She _had_ to die!"

I frowned. "Even if she did want to try again, was killing her even going to help at the end of the day?! We're in a fucking class trial now, _aren't we?!"_

Neizami pointed to herself. "W-Why single out Soro, then?! T-This was a team effort!"

"Because the evidence shows he is the one who cut the wire!" I felt at my head. "He even admitted it himself!"

"W-Why is Soro the blackened if this was all _MY_ plan?!" Neizami teared up. "W-Why is it him, and not me?!"

…

Neizami…

I know now, how you feel. You don't feel like you deserve to live, because...you orchestrated the murder. You feel responsible for it, and want to pay for it.

But...the truth is…

" _ **I won't look away!"**_

I closed my eyes, looking down. Swallowing hard, I looked her in the eyes. "Because the blackened is the one who directly caused the murder. Even if you planned it...it was Soro who carried it out."

…

Neizami sniffled, blowing her nose into her scarf. "N...No...please! T-There...there has to be…!"

"Neizami, please." Soro shook his head, slowly. "It's okay. Just...stop this."

"N...N-No!" The digital artist felt at her head. "It's...I-It's...all...all my fault!"

"Nah." Soro felt at his cap. "You wouldn't have been able to time it just right anyway. I've seen this trick in a movie once."

"Ah...I see." Mest crossed his arms. "You are referring to ' _The Dance of Elliots_ ,' right?"

"I've seen that one before." Sayino nodded. "A man came to his ex's housewarming party to attempt to kill her husband."

"That's where the inspiration came from, eh?" Tikari turned to Soro. "The husband cut the chandelier from the house air vent right on top of the man, with all the guests to see."

"That's the one." The cinematographer nodded. "We left the snow machine on before the performance, which damaged the wire. So...it would've been easier to cut. I've got pretty keen eyes. Part of my talent at all. The timing had to perfect...so only Ingreis would be killed."

"Stop it, stop...please…" Neizami sobbed. "Don't do this…"

Neizami...she still wouldn't accept it…

Why...why?

Her stuttering has stopped...does she think if she doesn't stutter, we'll...believe her because it makes her sound more mature…?

...

...We have to push harder. There's gotta be some way to give her a resolve…

" **I am the culprit, I...I have to be…"** She closed her eyes, looking down. " **It's my fault. I am responsible for this…"**

"Neizami…" Tikari gulped, eyes saddened. "That's...not true…"

" **If it wasn't for me, Ingreis wouldn't have been killed…"** Neizami began to tear up. " **It was my plan...this is my fault…"**

"Sweety...you heard the rules…" Anne bit her lip. "Even if you planned it…"

Sayino crossed her arms. "The credit would go to Soro."

Neizami shook her head. " **Soro only followed the plan...and it was...my plan…"**

Zraiko frowned. "Even so, your hands aren't stained with her blood."

"Sí. You have to accept la verdad." Mei tugged at her jacket.

"...Though it may have been your plan…" Mest felt at his left wrist. "You...are not the one to receive the credit."

" **I...am a monster…! In trying to save a life...I've gotten two others killed!"** Neizami sobbed.

Soro gulped, looking down. "Neizami...please don't blame yourself...we're both at fault."

Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "Gosh, Neizami...you had good intentions, even if you made a mistake…"

Weise nodded, slowly. "You are a nice person, oui! Not a monster, non! Don't say such terrible things about yourself!"

Neizami covered her face with her hands. " **I...should be...executed for this…"**

" _ **Just one second!"**_

" _ **One moment, please!"**_

" _ **Espera, por favor!"**_

We looked at eachother, as we all called out to Neizami at the same time. Each of us held the same truth bullet in hand…

 _Killing Game Rules._

"Neizami...I'm sorry…" Riko held her hands together. "This must truly burden you...but...you are ruled as a spotless here."

"Sí, the rules say el traidor es the person who...directly caused el muerte." Fraize felt behind his head, sighing. "Lo siento…"

"I know...you must feel incredibly guilty for all this." I gulped, holding my right arm. "I know...how it feels to have guilt...eat you alive...but please…" I looked at Neizami in the eyes, as she was pulling her hands away from her face. "Don't...stop believing in what is good. I see the good you were striving for, I know at the end of the day...you just wanted to protect us...and it will eat at you." I felt my chest, over my heart. "That guilt eats at you, tearing you apart...but there's nothing you can do but...to keep living. Time...heals wounds. I know...I still believe...that you are a good person."

Neizami looked down, silently.

...

"Well…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "It seems...the mystery is solved." He turned to me. "Well, Kozaki? What do you say?"

I sighed, nodding slowly. "This...this is it…"

Soro looked to Neizami, eyes saddened. He then turned to me. "Hey, Kozaki. Wrap this up like last time, will ya?"

I sighed, closing my eyes. I...I guess he wants me to tie in all loose ends, and...to make sure there's no room for debate.

...

I have to make sure we're all in this together...to make sure all the pieces fit.

I frowned. "...Let's do it."

" _ **This is how it all fits together!"**_

 **\- ACT 1 -**

"This all started with the motivation conferences, where we each were able to speak with a person of our choice. Ingreis chose to speak with her partner in skating, Alestar. Despite his wishes for her to not kill someone...Ingreis was willing to do anything to see her beloved once more. She didn't have a target in mind...it was more like her target was chosen for her. And that was the person she was partnered with...Riko."

 **\- ACT 2 -**

"As announced at breakfast, Ingreis and Riko practiced their routine for a majority of the day, making sure everything was perfect. Once they reached a point where she was satisfied, Ingreis decided to bring over the killer and Neizami - regardless if they had eaten lunch. She could not control their handling of the show lights directly, so she wanted to be sure they would follow her every single direction. This meant taking the extra time to make sure every step was followed to a T."

 **\- ACT 3 -**

"During the rehearsal, the killer and Neizami became aware of Ingreis's plan to murder Riko. Due to panic, Neizami proposed the idea to kill Ingreis to save Riko. Did they have to do this? Certainly not, but...it seems that both she and the killer were convinced that Ingreis would try to kill again, and she needed to be stopped permanently. Rather than going through with their plan before the show, the pair decided to perform their own special trick for us all to see."

 **\- ACT 4 -**

"Presumably the killer and Neizami had both set the snow machine to an automatic setting just before the show, aiming it towards the wire instead of over the rink. This would start to develop a weakness. Then...while leaving the lights off, the pair climbed back into the vent and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. They wanted to make sure only Ingreis would be killed, so their timing had to be calculated with precision…"

 **\- ACT 5 -**

"Because of the repetition of the rehearsal, the killer knew exactly where Ingreis would land on the ice with each phase. And so...the killer decided to strike right at the finale. Using the damaged pipe that was part of the ladder, the killer cut the wire at just the right moment. And so…Ingreis was killed for us all to see. As the evidence and the killer's confession line up, only someone who was in the front of the vent could've killed Ingreis."

" **Only Soro Otonori, the Super-Highschool-Level Cinematographer, is responsible for the crime! He is the one who rolled the credits to Ingreis's life!"**

There was a tense silence before Soro began to chuckle. He flashed a smile and gave me a thumbs up, nodding. "Damn, you're good. Nice one, Kozaki."

He...he seemed to be so... _okay_ with this…

Wh...why…? Doesn't he know...death is coming his way?

"I want everyone to know!" Soro announced. "Regardless if it was Neizami's plan, you'd damn better cast your votes for me! Got it?!"

Monobotto spun around in excitement. "Oh-yes-! Wonderful-! Please-all-cast-your-votes-for-the-blackened. Do-not-abstain. You-will-be-quite-the-fool-otherwise."

Once again, my podium prompted me to cast a vote. I...did exactly as Soro asked. I voted for him. We all did.

...Except for Neizami, who voted for herself.

It seems...she truly feels responsible for all of this.

And...now she has to live with that guilt…

That her plan to protect one life was at the cost of two others.

...I can't imagine how she must be feeling.

There was...only one thing left to do…

 **CLASS TRIAL, END.**

* * *

And so...the trial came to a close. The blackened was chosen correctly.

...And now...Soro will die…

Neizami was still crying to herself, softly. I find it interesting how...Soro didn't seem to be all too upset over this.

Did he...expect this outcome?

"Well...there it is." The cinematographer shrugged. "You caught me, fair and square."

"You don't seem to be...upset." Sayino scratched the back of her head. "Aren't you...afraid?"

Soro chuckled, awkwardly. "I never wanted to get away with it. The whole point was to save you guys, after all. I...guess I can think of this like a sacrifice." He felt at his cap. "It...makes me feel like...I'm dying as a hero. It's...not a bad way to go. Heh...never thought I'd be a hero to anyone, but...maybe I am now?"

"Yes...you are a hero of sorts." Riko held her hands together. "I do owe you my life…"

"Yeah?" Soro smiled. "Thanks."

"...Didn't you know from the last trial what would happen if you killed Ingreis?" Zraiko frowned, arms crossed. "Did you really...not consider any other way to stop her?"

"We did…" Soro sighed, averting his eyes. "But...who is to say she didn't have a backup plan? Would she have tried again? I didn't want to risk it. I figured...we had to get rid of her. We had to...make sure she wouldn't hurt anyone…"

"I fail to see the rationality behind that." The hacker adjusted his glasses. "There were hundreds of ways this could've been avoided…"

"Would they have broken the handcuffs?" The cinematographer asked, arms crossed. "Would they have stopped Monobotto from adding more to the motive until everyone died at once?"

"It was a permanent solution to a temporary problem." Zraiko shook his head.

"Temporary my ass." Soro gripped at his cap. "It was a solution to a problem that would've been permanent otherwise. Give me some credit."

Zraiko frowned. "You killed someone."

Soro scowled. "Damn right I did, and now I'll pay for it."

…

Damn it…

I didn't even think about the motive.

Monobotto could've kept stacking things up until we all went crazy…

…

No. There is no justification for this.

...This was murder...

...

"Hey, shithead." Soro frowned, taking his cap off.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "What?"

He pushed his cap into my arms, looking me in the eyes with intensity. "Get this back to the director for me, will ya?"

I looked down at the hat in my hands, blinking. "Me…?"

Soro tapped his head. "Movie senses are telling me…" He pointed at me. "You're going to survive. So I'm asking you to give the director his hat back, damn it!"

He...thinks I'm going to survive?

"...Alright." I nodded, slowly. "I'll...bring him his hat back."

"Thanks." Soro turned away, frowning. "I'll fucking haunt you as a ghost if you don't."

Sighing, I closed my eyes.

…

That's...right…

...Soro is...going to die…

…

And...just like last time...there's no stopping it…

Soro looked over to see Neizami sniffling, standing away from the rest of the group. He walked over slowly, arms crossed. "What are you crying for?"

Neizami blinked, wiping her tears away. "I...I…"

Soro sighed, arms crossed. "Hey, what's done is done. Crying isn't going to do shit, so cheer up already."

"W-Why…?" Neizami asked, almost inaudibly.

The cinematographer blinked, scratching the back of his head. "Why...what?"

"Why aren't you upset?! Why do you look so... _okay?!"_ Neizami shrieked. " _ **WHY?!**_ _Do you_ _ **want**_ _to die?!"_

Soro frowned, pointing to himself. " _ **No, I fucking don't! I don't want to die!"**_ He sighed, looking down. "...But there's nothing I...can do about it…"

"This...this is all my fault…!" Neizami wept. "If...If it wasn't for me…!"

"Hey...stop it." Soro pointed to Neizami. "I told you, didn't I? I told you to cheer up."

"Wh...why?" Neizami covered her face with her hands. "I...I'm the reason you'll…"

"Because." Soro nodded, slowly. "I said you are really nice. You meant well. And...heck, we both were under pressure and made a hasty choice. Was it a stupid one?" He shrugged. "Dunno. At the end of the day...you did what you wanted. You saved Riko's life. You could've saved everyone's by eliminating someone who was a threat."

Neizami shook her head, slowly. "I...deserve to be executed for this…I s-should die with you…"

Soro pulled her hands away, gently. "No. Only the blackened is executed. I have her blood on my hands...and damn it, that's just how it is."

"You-will-just-have-to-live-with-your-guilt." Monobotto slowly rolled over to them. "You-caused-two-deaths-and-have-ruined-everyone's-trust-in-you. Perhaps-you-may-orchestrate-another-murder?"

Soro frowned, pointing to Monobotto. "Shut the fuck up, nut-head."

"Oh-dear. Are-you-fools-going-to-keep-crying-? Boo-hoo. This-is-so-sad." Monobotto teased.

Soro turned to Monobotto, clenched his teeth, and kicked its head clear off. It was sent flying across the trial room.

Dead silence.

"Damn, Kozaki. No wonder you want to kick that asshat's head off so much!" Soro laughed. "That felt fucking fantastic!"

"S-Soro!" Neizami gulped.

"It's fine." He shook his head. "Might as well, since I'm already going to die."

Monobotto's body rolled rapidly to its head, then spinning around in anger. "That's-it-! You-will-be-executed-right-now-!"

Soro frowned. "Then fucking do it!"

Monobotto hopped into its seat and grabbed the gavel, smacking it down with force.

 **GAME OVER.**

 **Soro Otonori has been found guilty.**

 **Commencing the punishment…**

* * *

The nightmare…

Happening once again…

Soro was grabbed by his right wrist, being pulled back violently. Neizami reached for him...but their fingertips weren't able to graze each other.

The mechanical doors opened the gateway to death, to which Soro was dragged inside without mercy.

They slammed shut.

I was grabbed around the waist, just as last time…

I wanted to grab hold of something, anything…

…

I shut my eyes, squeezing his hat, making sure I wouldn't drop it. I had to keep my promise to him…

…

My eyes slowly opened. Strapped down into an auditorium seat...struggling would be pointless…

The curtains pulled back, and there stood Soro. The cinematographer was dressed in Monobotto-themed attire fitting for a super spy in a blockbuster movie, with multiple Monobottos handling several cameras and the stage lights.

Fog began to roll onto the stage, I could hear an intense rumbling sound.

Soro found himself standing on the rooftop of a train, or rather...something to represent it of sorts. In his hands, a metal pipe.

Some other Monobotto robots were opposing him on the train rooftops, holding guns.

One took a shot at Soro, but he deflected the bullet using the pipe. It seems he was somehow granted the ability of hypersensitivity...just to make the 'show' more intense…

He seemed to be doing well, even deflecting bullets into the many Monobottos. He began to laugh wildly, charging forward and smacking them with the pipe.

One took a shot at him from behind, but he turned around to deflect the bullet.

That was when...the Monobottos in charge of the lighting began to intervene. They aimed their bright spotlights into his eyes.

He got shot in the shoulder.

He stood up to swing at another Monobotto.

Another spotlight in his eyes, another bullet striking him.

The lights flashed with intensity, Soro couldn't stay focused.

He got shot three more times in the chest.

The pipe slipped out of his hands, him dropping to his knees. He felt a presence approaching from behind, then turned around.

It was a Monobotto wielding a large camera. It pressed the lense to his chest, hitting the record button.

…

And...it blew his guts out. Blood...splattering everywhere…

His body was kicked off the train roof, left for rot…

* * *

...N...No…

Damn...damn it!

 _Damn it all!_

Why...fucking _why?!_

I...I had to pinch myself, to feel my pulse…

To see...if I was really here...and really still alive…

Why...why? He didn't even kill Ingreis out of malice! So then...how does this equate to…

I heard crying...where was it coming from…?

...Weise.

We were released from our seats, so I quickly made haste to check on the fashion designer.

He was crying, hands shaking…

I...felt myself crying as well.

"Are...allons-nous tous mourir…?" He asked, looking at me in the eyes. "Is there...no stopping this…?"

I didn't know how to answer him.

I looked back to Soro's body, wondering that question myself. Is there...no stopping this cruel cycle of life and death? Is this truly...going to repeat, over and over?

How many more people...are going to die here?

I sighed, slowly pulling Weise in for a hug.

"No...there will be an end, Weise." I whispered to him. "You won't die here. I swear...remember, I promised you. I'm a man of my word."

Weise squeezed me, gently. "...Droite...I believe you…"

Mest and Fraize worked together to carry Soro to the garden, both of them turning pale whenever they looked down to him.

I held Weise by the hand. Even though there were no handcuffs...we stayed close together.

We gave words of parting to Soro. I...thanked him for kicking Monobotto in the head, as I personally would like to do as well.

Just...without dying in consequence.

Speaking of the devil, the bucket of bolts rolled into the room to drop off his camera. It also left behind Ingreis's figure skates, which were in pristine condition.

...I had no doubt about it, since she was a perfectionist. Of course her skates would reflect that…

We all turned to leave, except for Neizami. She stood there, shaking…

...Nobody dared to disturb her.

* * *

I continued to hold Weise by the hand, all the way to his dorm room. He slowly let go of my hand, then opening the door.

"Weise…" I looked to the side with a sigh. "Are...you sure you want to sleep alone tonight?"

He turned around slowly, eyes out of tears to cry. He shook his head, sniffling.

"Come on, then." I forced a light smile. "Go get changed, and then come join me upstairs."

Weise nodded, silently. With the door closing behind him, I walked to my room to change. I dropped off Soro's cap with Kamiyaki's scrunchies It...made me feel…

…

Empty…

I shook my head, leaving my room while holding my bedding items in my arms, to which I dropped off in Fraize's room. I...wanted to sleep in his room again tonight, to...feel safe.

Leaning against the railing of the stairs, I watched his room like a hawk. I have to protect him. Surely Monobotto would try to strike tonight.

"Amigo...is everything alright?" Fraize asked, walking next to me.

"No...not really." I sighed, still looking towards Weise's room. "I...I don't know how to feel, honestly. Is there...no stopping this?"

Fraize followed my gaze to the door, closing his eyes. "Quiero...tener an answer…" He shook his head. "Pero...no tengo idea."

"Fraize...I'm scared shitless…" I gulped, looking at him in the eyes. "I…I can't…"

The tour guide firmly placed his right hand onto my shoulder facing him. "I...believe...in you."

I blinked. "Y...You…?"

"I know…" Fraize spoke slowly, ensuring every word was translated to English for me. "We can...survive this. As long as...we believe in...each other, believe...in the 'goodness' of people…" He placed a hand over my heart. "We...can live. I have no...no doubt about it."

"Fraize…" I smiled, lightly.

He pulled his hand away, showing a faint smile. "Yes...we can...end this."

I pulled mi amigo in for a tight hug, closing my eyes. "Muchas gracias, amigo…"

"De nada." He hugged me back, tightly.

For a moment...it felt like we were the only people in the universe. He was holding me, making sure I wouldn't slip away.

And I...was holding him as well. We held each other.

"Ahem…"

We pulled away to see Riko standing with her arms crossed, a smile on her face. She was dressed in her cookie pajamas.

"I do hate to interrupt your embrace." She turned to Weise. "But…"

"Oh…" I chuckled, lightly. "R...Right."

Weise stood with his cheeks puffed, it seems he was incredibly tired. He also seemed to be nice and snug in his clean, striped pajamas.

But in his eyes, I could see...he was burnt out…

...I felt the same…

I just...want to sleep the world away.

"We're having a sleepover, amiga." Fraize smiled. "Would you-"

"No thank you, hehe." Riko gave me a quick hug, then stepping back. "I will...manage well on my own." The clarinetist walked over to her dorm room, opening the door lightly. She turned back to us, with a face of worry. "...Do take care tonight, please…"

With that, she closed the door behind her.

I...I could tell how Riko was feeling shaken by all this. She seemed to be in a hurry to end this hellish day as soon as possible.

I'll...talk to her tomorrow. She needs space for now…

…

We stepped into Fraize's dorm room, with me closing the door and locking it behind us. Weise was standing by the wall with nervous energy.

"Esta bien?" Fraize asked to the fashion designer.

Weise looked to the floor with discomfort.

"He doesn't like sleeping on the floor." I sighed.

"Oh...quieres dormir in my bed?" Fraize offered.

Weise nodded, silently.

I watched as the two walked over to the bed, with Weise climbing in. He seemed to be...too afraid to sleep.

...Was this how he was after Kamiyaki died as well?

He...he must be terrified…

I slowly walked over to the bed, sitting besides Weise. "Hey, buddy...is there anything I can do to help you?"

Weise looked up to me, silently.

"When I was little, mi madre used to sing to me para ayudar me sleep." Fraize smiled, lightly. "Quieres…?"

Weise nodded silently, closing his eyes. The tour guide began to sing a Spanish lullaby, doing so very slowly to ensure the words were all translated clearly.

 _A sunflower...grows in warm light…_

 _Its petals...color lost...a glowing white…_

 _What a truly...disheartening sight…_

 _Something just...doesn't feel right…_

 _..._

 _But then I looked up...up to the moon._

 _Have I come to see...too soon?_

 _Born...from ashes of past doom..._

 _Now this flower...has come to bloom…_

…

It seems it was able to help. Weise...he's looking peaceful now.

"Was it...good, amigo?" Fraize asked, looking to me.

I nodded, smiling lightly. "Yeah...I think he's going to be okay."

Fraize felt at his necklace, closing his eyes. "...Mama...quiero...see her again…"

Standing up from the bed, I patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Fraize...I believe you will see her again."

He looked to me, smiling faintly. "...Gracias."

With a sigh, I spread my blanket onto the floor and laid down, facing the door.

I...I won't let Monobotto in here. This...this ends now.

…

"Amigo...buenas noches." Fraize laid down on the floor, with a sigh.

"...Good night, Fraize." I closed my eyes.

…

I...felt a coldness inside my heart. A feeling of...dread. I...I feel as though...I'm going to die, soon…

That...there's no point trying to fight it…

…

Should I just...give up?

…

It's...for the best...maybe I should just…

…

Accept...that regardless of how much I try…

There...is no stopping this…

…

* * *

"Hurry up, will you? I need to speak with him. Wake him faster."

...A foreign voice...

"Are you sure?"

...Another one…

"It's not working. No matter how many times we've tried giving Number One influences, he's not stepping up. I thought boss said he was the leader type?"

"Was. That all changed."

"...Oh yeah, because of that _accident,_ right?"

"...That gives me an idea."

"More drugs?"

"No, fool. We'll discuss this after he is cleaned again."

"Alright."

Wh...what…? What are they…?

"Here, I'll write a formal request for the boss about this. Clear Number One for cleansing in the meantime."

Cleansing...?

Wh...what does that mean?

I slowly opened my eyes, with the surrounding area being completely blurry.

"Good, he's awake. Make it count. I'll prepare the procedure." One of the cultists left the room.

Procedure…? What...what are they going to do…?

"Number One."

I looked over to the cultist that was speaking to me. I wanted to leap off whatever hospital bed I was laying on, but...I was restrained.

"Tell me...what do you know about _Danganronpa?"_

I blinked, shaking my head slowly. Was…

...Was this…?

This...this is the show...this has to be it!

"Do you remember anything about it?" The cultist sat down on a stool, preparing to write onto a clipboard.

I didn't answer him. Mostly because…

I...wasn't sure. I could remember that it was...a reality program, where the participants all played a killing game.

...But...that was all I could recall...it was so fuzzy…

"No answer…" The person tapped his or her foot against the ground. "Is it because you don't want to talk?"

...Sure. Let's call it that.

"...Or because we cleaned you?"

I looked back over to the person, shaking my head slowly.

"Tell me this. Do you recognize the name 'Erito' at all?" The individual prompted me.

E...Erito…?

I've...never heard that name before…

I shook my head, slowly

"Ah, I see. So everything is going as expected, for the most part." The cultist wrote into the clipboard. "Though...when you've been waking up in the middle of procedure, it's been quite a surprise. Even the boss wonders why you have these...reactions."

I closed my eyes, trying to understand what was happening.

...But...I couldn't...gasp any of this...

"This experiment we're conducting, it has a few...flaws. It seems...there was a variable we weren't taking enough care of." The person pointed to me. "And it seems we've pinpointed it."

"...M...Me…?" I asked, trying to wake my body up.

"Well yes, but actually...no." The person stood up from his or her seat, then walking over to me. "Your memories are causing too much conflict. You know you're not in highschool, so the title of Super-Highschool-Level is being refused. Deep down inside, you know we planted that into you. You know everything that's going on, but this current 'you' that I'm speaking with...doesn't know anything."

"I…" I looked down, shaking my head slowly.

What...what is all this?

What's going on?

Current...me?

I...know everything that's going on?

What...what is…?

I...I don't…

"But the other 'you' from after you are cleaned each night...knows everything. 'You' cannot remember anything of the sort." The cultist shrugged, simply. "But...sometimes...this version of 'you' will break out. It's quite...peculiar."

What's...all this talk of different versions of me…?

I…

This is just some...mumbo jumbo, right? Some random shit to confuse me.

...But…

It would explain…

…

Eyes.

Apparently something's been going on with my eyes…

Is...that part of this?

I…

Am I…

…

"Who...am I?" I looked to the cultist, face devoid of sanity.

The person crossed his or her arms, it seems...he or she was looking for me to ask that. "...It's working."

I frowned, lightly. "What…?"

The person leaned in, whispering into my ear. "You are Erito's special test subject, brought out from the deepest void. Right now, you're still stuck as the poor, terrified child. Not for much longer. We told you, didn't we?" The person leaned out, feeling underneath my chin with his or her right hand. "You are...incredible"

I closed my eyes, my body shaking in fear…fear of the realization of what was in store. Flooded with the memories of events repeating.

I know what they're doing to me, every night. The procedure is always the same.

Cleaning.

They strip away my mind...and they leave nothing behind.

Over and over, again and again.

…

Every single night.

…

I lose myself…

I am left alone to the mercy of the sirens…

I am...shut away as they do as they please to me…

…

I...am cleaned…

...

I didn't say anything as they wheeled me into another room.

I didn't say anything as they took me off the bed and laid me down onto a white table, resting in the middle of a large spacious room.

I didn't say anything when a machine was lowered from the ceiling, surrounding my body.

…

I didn't say anything…

...

...But I screamed.

* * *

~Chapter Two, End~

~Chapter Three, Start~


	14. Ball of the Blood Moon Daily Life 1

Chapter Three ~ Ball of the Blood Moon

* * *

I found myself sitting alone on that small island from before, with no sirens in sight. It was just me, alone on the miniscule beach.

I couldn't remember how I got here, just that suddenly here I was.

What is this place, anyway?

…

It's awfully lonely here.

I looked up to see a pair of sirens, both of them wading in the water. It seems they were looking for me to approach them…

...I don't know what came over me, but...I did just that. I walked over to them, even though every story would tell of how sirens only bring death.

But they were not agents of death, but...messengers from an unknown. Their hands both extended towards me, I allowed for them to pull me under the water.

…

It was cold, colder than any winter's storm. I couldn't breathe, it hurt to fight anything.

...But I opened my eyes, and what I found…

Another person, being carried past me.

I turned my head around to get a better look, but...whoever it was...he or she was already gone from sight.

...Was it Fraize, Mei, or Sayino?

I wonder...what they will be doing on that island.

…

I broke the surface of the water, sitting alone in an endless abyss. It was raining, the raindrops hitting against me like bullets.

The sirens waved off, and I was left behind. Alone here, in...whatever this place was.

…

I want to go back...back to that island.

...I guess...I'll just have to wait.

I laid down, facing the voided sky.

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh.

…

* * *

"You're doing great, Kozaki. You just have to push a little harder, and I'm sure you'll do perfectly."

I slowly opened my eyes, looking around to see I was standing in an ice rink. To the side, Ingreis observed me with her arms crossed.

"Hey. Don't tell me you're just going to give up after coming this far." She smiled, shaking her head.

"I…" I gulped, feeling at my right arm.

"He looks pretty damn tired, if ya' ask me." Soro glided over, carrying a simple film camera in his hands. "Maybe he should take a break."

"N-No. Don't worry about me." I forced a smile. "I can do this. Just...I need some time."

"Show us what you've got, then." Ingreis nodded. "Your spirit."

With a semi-confident nod, I started to skate around the rink. I picked up speed, the breeze felt...refreshing.

I wanted to do just that, showing them my spirit. Everyone...they need a leader.

...I guess I'll have to be the one to step up.

It's not that I... _want_ it...but…

…

I…

It feels like...I have to. I can't reason why…

…

Why...am I…?

Lost in my thoughts, I accidentally slipped and fell face-first into the ice.

"Yikes...looks like he needs some more practice." Soro commented to Ingreis.

"I'm sure he'll get the hang of it." The figure skater replied.

I slowly looked up to see them both standing in front of me, hands extended.

But…

My eyes grew wide, my face growing pale…

Ingreis's head was bleeding, and parts of her body seemed to be positioned extremely unnaturally. Soro's torso had a huge hole in it, with several bullet holes around his body.

"Kozaki...it's not your fault." Ingreis smiled, although sadly. "Take this with you, let it be a lesson to you."

"I said you were going to survive, didn't I?" Soro grinned. "Do that, for us."

I took their hands silently, unable to say a word.

"...Just take a deep breath." Ingreis instructed me. "You can do that, can't you?"

I did as she asked of me, then noticing Yuuta and Kamiyaki gliding towards us.

...Their wounds…

…

I...that's right…

…

They're all...dead…

"Heya, Kozaki." Yuuta smiled, waving lightly. "Don't worry about tripping up! Even I've had fish slip out of my hands."

Kamiyaki giggled. "And that says a lot, coming from him!" She then winked. "Hey, hey! I know you can do this. You need to believe in yourself, yeah!"

"I…" I felt myself tearing up. "You...you all…"

Soro crossed his arms, looking to the ice of the rink. "Just promise us something, Kozaki."

"Wh...what…?" I asked, gulping.

The ice of the rink began to crack rapidly. Soro locked his eyes on me. "Don't fuck this up. They need you."

They...need me…?

"Indeed." Ingreis nodded. "Kozaki, there is a spark inside you. Don't be afraid to let it out."

The ice cracked more.

"You can do this! I'm cheering for you!" Kamiyaki pumped a fist. "You...you may not be able to help us, but…"

"There's still time for you to help the others." Yuuta gave me a thumbs up. "You can stop this, Kozaki. Just think of it like...catching a really nice fish for dinner! It may take a while, but you'll reel in a nice one if you're patient!"

Patient…?

I...I don't have time to be patient...if I am...more people will…

The cracks spread across the whole rink...and just moments later, the floor shattered. I was left standing on a barrier, reaching out for all my friends.

...But I couldn't save them…

I closed my eyes...shaking my head slowly.

...

I couldn't save them…

…

I…

* * *

…

Hnn…

My head... it's throbbing…

"Oh, amigo. Are you awake?"

I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Ghh...I…guess so…"

Fraize knelt over, patting me on the shoulder. "Esta bien?"

I looked up to him, feeling at my head. "I mean...I haven't died, yet. That's not...really saying much, though…"

Fraize looked to the floor, his face holding an emotion of worry. "...Amigo, uhh…"

"Hmm?" I blinked, wondering what he was looking to tell me.

He gulped, looking back to me. "Recently I've been...uhh...como se dice…" He then sighed, shaking his head. "Feeling...strange."

"Do you...want to talk about it?" I offered.

The tour guide twiddled his fingers nervously, unable to make eye contact with me. "Ehh...perhaps un tiempo otro…"

I didn't quite understand why Fraize seemed to be so...uncomfortable. He's usually so chipper and…

Well...I did notice sometimes he does get a little...flustered…

…

Could it be…?

We both looked over upon hearing the sound of yawning. Weise sat up slowly, his face carrying a blank expression.

"Weise, are you feeling alright?" I slowly stood up, then taking a seat on the bed besides the fashion designer. "Did you sleep well?"

Weise looked to his hands, not saying a word.

They were shaking, so I took them and gave them a squeeze. "Hey...what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He blinked a few times, looking at me in the eyes.

"Esta bien, amigo?" Fraize knelt over by the bed, patting Weise on the forehead gently. "Hmm...no fever."

"...I...had a cauchemar." Weise looked down, closing his eyes. "Mais...I can't remember what happened. I feel scared…"

"Ah, perhaps some...té caliente puede ayudar?" Fraize offered a smile.

Weise looked over to Fraize, twiddling his fingers. "Je...je suppose so. As long as it's herbal tea. Oui, it's the only tea I like."

I slowly reached over, gently placing my hand to his head. "...Did they...punish you last night?"

His face grew pale. I could see him starting to tear up. "...Oui…"

...They took him while we were sleeping. I should've known. I should've...done something…

…

"What did they do?" I pressed him.

Weise felt at his head, shaking it lightly. "Je ne peut pas...remember what they did...only that J'ai...never felt so scared before in my whole life…"

I exchanged glances with Fraize, and we both pulled in Weise for a hug to comfort him.

"It's going to be ok, Weise." I patted him on the back, gently. "We're here for you."

"Merci." He whispered, closing his eyes.

We sat together in silence for a while. I didn't know what to say to provide any comfort.

…

What did they do to him?

He can't even remember…

…

I'm...just glad he's still...alive…

…

What did they do to all of us, last night?

To Fraize...to me…

…

I feel...nauseous…

…

After changing and getting ready for the day, we all walked into the dining room to see everyone sitting together, mostly on edge. Well...I shouldn't say they were all sitting together. Nobody wanted to sit anywhere near Neizami. On one hand, I could understand that. But...it seemed to be a little cruel...

"Hey, guys…" Sayino waved, forcing a smile. "Good morning…"

I took a seat besides Riko, hoping to have the chance to speak with her about...

...Well…

I just hope she'll be alright…

Knowing that...someone was trying to kill you…

That must be...awfully terrifying…

…

"Hey, Kozaki…" Riko looked to me, smiling lightly. "Are you...faring well?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "I...I don't think so…"

Riko picked up my plate from the table and filled it with a stack of pancakes. "Anne made an American-styled breakfast this morning. I hope you like pancakes…"

Anne nodded, placing a hand over her heart. "I figured it would be a sweet surprise. After all...it's a way to thank you, Kozaki."

"Thank...me?" I asked, certainly surprised. "What did I do?"

"You helped so much in the...you know…" Anne sighed. "I thought...since you worked so hard…"

"Thanks, Anne." I chuckled lightly. "It...means a lot to me."

"There's fried eggs, bacon, toast...do you eat this stuff often, Kozaki?" Kyohi asked.

"Ah, well…" I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, but... usually I'll have a bowl of cereal and milk…"

"Oh, and you like maple syrup, eh?" Tikari walked over to my seat, pouring some syrup for my pancakes. "Is this enough?"

"U-Uh...yeah...it's plenty…" I looked down, sighing.

"Never had American breakfast before. I usually have some omurice." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "It's not bad, though."

Neizami nodded, without any words to give. It seems she, too...was greatly hurt by yesterday…

…

I felt so damn bad, seeing her sitting alone. I...I knew too well how it feels like to be socially isolated. It's...not a good feeling.

…

Maybe I should go over and sit next to her.

Ah, but...I don't want to be rude to Riko…

...Damn it, why do I always get into these situations?

"Quoi are these?" Weise asked, cheeks puffed. He poked at one of the pancakes with his fork, as if poking an alligator with a stick. "They look like...epais crepes!"

"...I remembered a recipe for blueberry pancakes my mother makes." Mest nodded. "We still would eat them from time to time…"

"...No es terrible." Mei shrugged, taking a bite.

"A cup of coffee would serve me well, wouldn't you say?" Sayino smiled. "Are you a coffee person, Kozaki?"

"M-Me?" I turned to Sayino. "N-No...I usually have some orange juice…"

"Amigo, esta bien?" Fraize asked, patting me on the shoulder. "You seem…"

"Oh, I'm fine!" I nodded, then taking a bite from the pancakes. "I…"

…

They tasted...just like how my mother would make them…

…

The juicy blueberries...the sweet syrup...the soft, fluffy pancakes…

Why…

Why is everyone being so...nice to me?

I don't…

I felt the fork slip out from my hand...felt the tears slip down my cheeks…

Felt myself crying to go home…

Felt myself crying for my family...

...Felt myself crying for my mother…

…

"Kozaki, please...I'm here…" Riko hugged me, trying to be of comfort.

"Stop it...stop it...please!" I pushed her away, running out of the dining room.

…

I couldn't face them…

I couldn't…

…

* * *

I sat down in the garden, feeling nothing but pain twisting me to my core.

I can't…

…

I…

I just want to go home. I want to see my parents…to see Shiro…

...To have my old life back…

I don't want to die here…

…

The others walked into the room, giving me space. Riko tried to say something, but...it was clear to her I wasn't in the mood.

It's just...I didn't want to be treated differently by the others. I don't want to be a hero. I just...want to be me…

…

And I want...to leave it be…

Riko walked to my side, sitting besides me. She didn't want to intrude, but...was still looking to comfort me in some way. She closed her eyes and took in a soft breath.

 _When I took steps to the side, you came to stand besides me._

 _When I wanted to turn away and hide, you reached out to hold me._

 _And now the sun has come and gone,_

 _The final grain of sand has fallen._

 _I fell asleep in your arms, as we took two steps forward._

 _We stood sound, we stood quiet._

 _And then I could feel myself take two more steps._

 _Two more steps, if you would let me._

 _Let us...take them together…_

 _..._

Even after everyone left, I stayed behind in the garden. I felt as though...I'd die soon.

I just...I don't know why or how. I can't tell why I feel this...void…

Is it because of...how much I miss them all?

I closed my eyes, feeling my chest. Trying to feel...something inside…

...I can't feel anything.

With no idea how to spend the morning, I started to talk to myself, as though I was speaking with them. I...probably sounded crazy…

"...Hey, everyone...I hope you're resting well." I closed my eyes. "Is...everything alright? Are you at peace? I mean...to die in such cruel ways…"

No response, of course.

"I wonder...do you resent me? Is it my fault that you've all died?" I opened my eyes, slowly. "Is it my fault...we're here now?"

...Nothing.

"I...want to believe that we'll make it out of here, but...I just…" I gulped. "I don't see it. I don't see us making it out...I'm scared…" I took in a deep breath. "Scared to death...I…"

…

I covered my face with my hands, shaking my head slowly. "There's no point, is there?"

"Don't say that, Kozaki! Buck up, won't you?"

...Huh?

I pulled my hands away to see Kamiyaki standing in front of me, or rather...perhaps only a vision…

Am I losing my mind?

"Coach always says that in the hardest of times, you need to show your biggest smiles!" The cheerleader poked me on the forehead. "So do that, won't you?"

"K...Kami...Kamiyaki…?" I slowly stood up, feeling at my head.

"Cheer up, yeah~?" She crossed her arms behind her back. "They need you!"

N...Need me?

"Come on, Kozaki. You can do this!" Yuuta smiled, patting me on the back. "Just think of it like...looking for the catch of the day! It'll be delicious once you finally reel it in and cook it!" He pointed to himself, flashing a grin. "I should know. I have some recipes written in my diary if you need!"

Wh...What's going on here?

"Hey, dumbass. Why the long face?" Soro crossed his arms, frowning. "You've gotten this far, haven't you? Stand up tall!"

"I...I…" I looked around, insecurely.

Am I dreaming?!

Ingreis placed a hand onto my left shoulder. "Kozaki. Listen to me."

I turned to her, without a word.

"You need to keep it together." She pulled her hand away, pointing to me. "You've got to stop this killing game."

I looked to them all, shaking my head slowly. "...I can't…"

"You never will if you put yourself to that mindset!" Kamiyaki shook her head.

Wh...Why…?

"No...everyone's going to keep dying and dying...until there's nobody left…" I closed my eyes, shaking my head.

"And do you want that to happen?" Ingreis placed her hands onto both of my shoulders, shaking me lightly. "Do you _want_ everyone to die?"

"No...of course I don't!" I looked her in the eyes. "But...I can't stop this!"

A silence.

"Kozaki." Yuuta took me by the hands, smiling. "It's okay."

"...H...How is it okay?!" I asked, tearing up. "I...I couldn't...couldn't save you…"

"We told you, hehe. Or...did you forget?" Yuuta winked. "Aw, I thought I was the only forgetful one! Well…" He nodded. "Remember this, Kozaki! You can still save the others."

"As long as you do that…" Kamiyaki nodded. "We will be okay."

"So please." Yuuta picked up his diary, handing it to me. "Go and be with the others. Make some nice memories! You'll remember that, right?"

I closed my eyes, thinking. "I…"

…

When I opened them, I was alone.

* * *

I walked to the kitchen, clutching Yuuta's diary.

...Make memories with the others. That's what he asked me to do.

…

Was it really him, or...am I going insane?

…

In any case, he was right. They were only trying to comfort me, and I...fucked it up.

...Now's my chance to redeem myself.

I flipped open his diary, looking for fish recipes.

Salmon wellington...that doesn't sound too hard! It's just salmon and carrots and stuff wrapped in pastry dough...r-right?

I slipped the diary into my back pocket and opened the fridge.

The fridge...it was way bigger on the inside. I could...I could actually _walk inside_ to find more ingredients.

No wonder Anne can make so many different dishes…

Alright, let me see here…

Aha.

I found the salmon hanging on a rack with several other types of fish. It was quite large, and...it wasn't prepped.

…

Y-You mean I have to prep it myself?

I...I can do it! I'll do it so that I can repay everyone.

After bringing the salmon out of the fridge and closing the door behind me, I laid it down onto the counter.

…

Okay...now I have to fillet it!

I grabbed a clean knife and walked over to the fish. My hand began to shake as I prepared to carve it.

Its eye...it was looking right at me…

Gulping, I began to fillet the fish.

…

Well...it was more like I absolutely mangled it.

...Well it's ok! I salvaged roughly twelve portions. I just have to cook them.

…

Where's the lighter?

…

Shit, I can't find the lighter.

But I don't want to ask Anne. If I do...she'll know what I'm up to.

...Aha! I've still got that packet of matches in my pocket. This will do.

I should make a good sauce for the carrots, right? To make it more flavorful?

...You know, why follow a recipe when I can make it my own?

I was overcome by a desire for experimentation. I wanted to make something incredible, to show the others that I've still got that spark inside…

...That will to live.

I guess I got...a little too ahead of myself.

…

Hehe...it was fun. I couldn't control myself. I just had to let it out.

...That fire. I had to let it out.

...And when I did…

 _ **Beep! Beep! Beep!**_

"Kozaki? Hey, get up!"

I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself to be laying on the floor. There was an incredible heat.

"Yikes, you look busted. Here, I'll help you out." Sayino kelt over, then picking me up. "Hey, put out the fire quick!"

"On it!" Anne nodded, rushing towards a cabinet. She pulled out a fire extinguisher and started to spray it all over.

"Dunce-suke, you lit the kitchen on fire!" Mei groaned. "Now how will Kimidori prepara el almuerzo?!"

"I…" I felt at my head as Sayino lowered me to the ground. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to…"

"Holy guacamole!" Kyohi gasped, running over. "T-The kitchen is on fire!"

"I-I know...I'm so, so sorry!" I shook my head, ashamed. "I...I wanted to be helpful and I...fucked it up…"  
"Kozaki…" Sayino patted me on the head. "Hey, it's alright. We'll just note for future reference to make sure you cook with a buddy."

I tried to say something. "I-I-"

"You-absolutely-foolish-fool-!" Monobotto fumed at me, rolling by at a rapid pace. "My-wonderful-kitchen-has-caught-fire-! I-don't-have-room-in-the-budget-for-this!"

It rolled straight inside, seemingly to help Anne die down the flames...

…

I don't know what overcame me.

One second I was just trying to cook some fish.

The next…

…

I lost control of myself. I turned up the gas, I needed to see that fire. I needed to be surrounded by the flames. That pain...I needed to burn it away…

…

What have I done?

...

I sighed, closing my eyes. "...I'm sorry about...how I acted this morning…you were all trying to be nice and…"

Kyohi shook his head, smiling. "No. You have every right to have reacted the way you did, Kozaki." He pumped a fist. "Just because you're our leader...it doesn't mean you have to always put on a brave face!"

"L-Leader…?" I gulped.

"I never agreed to this. Dunce-suke, our _maestro?_ Ridiculo!" Mei frowned.

"Just roll with me, Mei." Kyohi whispered, although it was audible enough for me to hear. "Gosh, you've seen how hard Kozaki works to keep us all safe, and to solve all the mysteries...haven't you?"

The vigilante sighed. "Alright...es verdad...pero, I refuse to address him as my leader."

"I-I'm fine with that, really!" I fumbled for words. "I...I'm no leader…"

Just then, I noticed the crowd around the kitchen had grown. Everyone was standing, faces holding worry. Even Neizami showed up, standing timidly off to the side.

"The Bottolet announced that the kitchen caught fire!" Tikari gulped. "Are you alright?"

"O-Oh…I'm okay…" I sighed, shaking my head. "I'll be ok…"

"How did you even manage this?" Zraiko sighed, crossing his arms. "It looks like you were _trying_ to make it catch fire. The place is a mess!"

Mest stood, watching me critically. He must be thinking I did it because of my talent, right…?

…

I've really gone and done it now...

"Kozaki, you should take a break." Riko smiled. "You're clearly...very much distressed right now."

"...I...I guess you're right." I gulped. "I...hope you can all forgive me."

"Maybe we should...go hang out together while Anne fixes lunch?" Kyohi offered. "I think...it will really help you out."

"Thank you for offering, but...what would we do?" I felt at my right arm, nervously.

"Anything outside la cocina, escuchame?" Mei glared at me, pointing straight to my face.

"Incase you forgot, we're trapped in space." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Where do you suppose we run should the place be swallowed by flames?"

"Alright, I hear you loud and clear!" I frowned. "No need to rub it in…"

"...Come with me, Kozaki." Mest stepped forward. "I would like to...have a discussion with you."

…

Oh no...he's going to rip me a new asshole, isn't he?

"Sure." I scratched the back of my head. "I've...been meaning to go to your Shift-Room anyway."

"...As I expected." Mest turned to leave. "Oh...and Riko, Kyohi, and Fraize...I extend the invitation to you as well."

They all exchanged glances as I began to follow Mest to his Shift-Room. They soon followed behind, as they didn't see anything else to do.

* * *

Upon Mest closing the door to his shift room, he locked it and turned to us. "Was this an outburst, Kozaki?"

"Huh?" I blinked.

"...You must've gotten your title of being the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist for a reason." He walked over to me. "Did you light the kitchen because...you needed to start a fire?"

I backed away, nervously. "I-I…"

"Wait a minute, please!" Riko stepped in front of me. "How...how did you know about his talent?"

"...I quietly listen, observing everyone's movements." Mest looked around. "I found...you three know about this. What I am looking for is...an open forum. I want all of us to be on the same page."

Riko and Kyohi looked to Fraize.

"If I may ask, when did he tell you?" Riko asked, surprised.

Fraize scratched the back of his head. "Cuando...we stayed behind in his Shift-Room. Sí, he told me all about it…"

"I...I still need to make sure you all know everything…" I gulped, worried about causing tension. "Maybe I should now…"

Kyohi shook his head. "I think...Mest wants to talk about something before that…"

Fraize looked down, worriedly. "Yo comprendo…"

...

"What I need to know is...just what kind of an arsonist you are." Mest pointed to me. "If you are...a threat."

"Gosh, he's not a threat, Mest!" The hockey player stepped up. "Kozaki's worked so hard to keep us alive, why would he…"

"...How many people have you killed?" Mest glared at me.

"W...What?!" I asked in disbelief. "I've...I've never killed anyone!"

"Por favor, Mest. This is a misunderstanding!" Fraize stepped forward. "Kozaki no esta a bad person!"

Mest crossed his arms, examining me critically. "I'm only looking to make sure...this whole place doesn't catch fire."

"I swear, Mest." I put a hand up. "I-I'll try to control myself...the last thing I want is...for someone to get hurt…"

Mest walked over to his equipment, not looking at me. "... It's peculiar to think...you are an arsonist. It is a crime, after all. I find it unexpected that...partaking in criminal activity for you does not involve hurting others."

"I don't burn things to hurt others. I burn things because of my hurt, because I don't know any other way to... _to feel relief!"_ I blurted out.

The tattoo artist sighed, sitting down in one of his chairs. "Keep your talent to your Shift Room. Promise me that, won't you?"

"I do hope you're not insisting Kozaki intends to burn us all alive." Riko held her hands together, upset. "Please, you must believe him! He doesn't want to hurt anyone!"

"...I promise." I looked down, gulping. "I'm...I'm trying to stop it...honestly…"

"K...Kozaki…" Riko looked over to me.

After a brief silence, Mest looked to the others. "...Dismissed."

They each seemed to be insecure about leaving, but did as what was requested.

"See you at lunch, Kozaki." Kyohi nodded. "Don't worry. We all have a need to vent from time to time! This is...just your way."

I nodded silently, watching him leave the room with the others.

The door closed, leaving me alone with Mest.

"...You've stayed." Mest observed. "Do you wish to...speak with me further?"

I slowly took off my hoodie and sweater, sighing.

"...Ah. I see." Mest turned to his equipment. "Where do you want them?"

I took a seat at the station, nodding lightly. "Nearby the others, light lavender and navy splotches, for them."

"Alright." Mest prepared his work. "I suppose...we shall take this time to speak further."

…

"...So tell me. What makes you an arsonist?" He asked as he was working.

"...I've been arrested before." I looked down. "Seven times. I've burnt down other people's things, abandoned buildings and structures...nothing to hurt people…"

Mest's voice held skepticism. "Truly?"

I closed my eyes, shaking my head slowly.

…

The detail...that only Fraize knows.

...When I told him everything…

When I told him...about Mikanne…

When I told him...how I burned down someone's house…

To feel…

…

 _ **Revenge.**_

…

So I told Mest. I told Mest all about it as well. About my need to feel revenge when I burned down that person's house. The strangest thing was...Mest didn't seem completely surprised. He was taken aback, sure...but...I felt as though he _expected_ something like this to be said.

"But of course. How else would you have gotten your talent?" He asked.

...And he was right. How else could I have been the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist? Ever since I was a child... _I've been a criminal_...

"Mest, tell me...where did your talent come from?" I looked back to him. "You say you studied design, so...why go into tattoo art?"

"It was...an odd turning of events." Mest finished up his work. "I don't believe I can explain it."

I decided not to press him further. After all, I knew he was uncomfortable when it came to talking about his most personal life.

I hope...if I continue to spend time with him, he will eventually open up to me.

 _Make nice memories with everyone._

…

I will. It's a promise.

* * *

Lunch was alright. It seems Anne was quick to forgive me for my mishap in the kitchen.

"Don't worry about it, sweety. It's the thought that counts." She smiled, warmly.

That reminded me...I still had Yuuta's diary in my pocket. I have to make sure I return it as soon as possible…

I guess Anne thought I really wanted to eat that salmon, so she had prepared a salmon dish for us to share. There was decent chatter, although Neizami distanced herself from everyone else. In fact, she stayed only long enough to eat before hurrying out from the dining room.

…

I should go talk to her.

...No...she needs time. I'm sure she must be greatly hurt by all , after she's had enough time...

And Riko...I still need to talk to her as well.

After lunch, that's a promise.

"Thank you for the meal, Anne." Tikari smiled, warmly. "Your hands seemed to be quite full, eh?"

The patisserie shook her head with a smile. "It's no worry, Tikari. I've had to manage worse situations than a kitchen fire."

A short silence.

"I'm...oddly interested to hear what could be worse than having your kitchen caught up in flames." Sayino scratched the back of her head.

"What if the kitchen was overrun by...a lion affamé?!" Weise asked. "Looking to eat...all of her sweets, leaving no crumb left behind!"

Mei rolled her eyes. "Vayrne, that's ridiculous."

"Je connais it's not expected, but…!" The fashion designer puffed his cheeks. "It would be worse than a kitchen fire, oui?"

"That also sounds utterly impossible." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "When would that even happen?"

Weise pointed to the hacker. "When you least expect it, oui!"

Zraiko was about to respond, but Mest placed a hand onto his shoulder. The hacker sighed and brushed the subject off.

"W-Well...there was someone who attempted to rob us…" Anne gulped, looking down. "It was quite a mess, since the man was armed…"

"Damn...what happened?" I asked, turning to her. "You say attempted...does it mean he failed?"

Anne nodded. "I did all I could to protect my customers. After all, it is my obligation to satisfy them." She pumped a fist, looking determined. "I took my roller and whacked him from behind when he wasn't looking!"

Weise gasped, eyes wide. "You really did that? En aucune façon...so cool!"

Anne giggled, brushing her apron. "Yeah, then I took my extra pastry dough and smushed it into his face while some customers helped me disarm him."

"That's super cool, Anne!" Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "I still have to work on my own self-defense. Maybe you can give me some tips?"

"I will do my best." Anne smiled, kindly.

"S'il vous plaît, Anne! Teach me to be strong as well!" Weise raised his fists confidently. "I want to help us!"

…

Weise. Another person that I need to check up on.

That's three people now. I...hope I can keep up with everything…

"Ah-yes. Please-teach-me-as-well-Anne-Kimidori." Monobotto beeped.

We all turned to see it was resting on one of the vacant chairs besides Zraiko.

"No-extra-fish-?" Monobotto's glassy eyes lined up to the hacker's plate. "No-matter. It-seems-Zraiko-Nikiroi-will-not-mind-if-I-do."

With that, Monobotto snagged Zraiko's meal and grinded it up, including the plate…

Zraiko frowned. "...I wasn't done eating."

"Oh-boo-hoo." Monobotto teased. "Are-you-going-to-cry-?"

Zraiko groaned and turned away from the bucket of bolts, perturbed.

"It-seems-you-fools-are-quite-distracted-as-of-late. Perhaps-because-of-the-recent-trial-?" Monobotto spun around, slowly. "I-have-prepared-the-Mono-shift-Room-with-a-special-treat-for-you-all."

"What if...we don't want to come with you?" I asked, arms crossed. "And...you know...maybe you can kindly fuck off?"

Kyohi coughed, glancing over to me.

I sighed, standing up. "Okay, let me rephrase this." I clapped my hands together, pointing my fingertips towards Monobotto. "We do not have any interest in coming with you. Would you be so kind...to leave…"

Kyohi smiled, lightly.

"...And fling yourself out into space, where we won't ever have to see you again. Maybe you can piss off to the moon? Maybe hurl yourself into the _fucking sun?!"_ I lost my temper.

The hockey player sighed, giving himself a face-palm.

"Damn, Kozaki." Sayino chuckled. "I reckon that Monobotto would consider it if we 'foolish lot' became boring enough."

…

Damn it all.

"Please-do-follow-me." The wingnut turned to leave. "You-fools-need-some-motivation-so-you-can-stop-being-so-very-boring."

* * *

We all were left to stand in front of the Mono-shift Room as Monobotto began its explanation of the 'special feature' being presented to us. Even Neizami was forced to come, standing isolated from the rest of us in silence. Monobotto must've threatened her...

"This-feature-will-be-a-sweet-reminder-of-what-awaits-you-fools-at-home-should-you-survive." Monobotto motioned to a scanner by the door. "Simply-swipe-in-your-Bottolet-here. A-projection-of-your-house-will-be-made-to-which-you-may-interact-with. You-can-have-as-long-as-you-need-before-the-feature-closes-permanently-tonight-at-night-bell. You-may-even-revisit-it-if-you-wish-until-then. There-will-be-no-penalty-for-those-who-are-in-the-room-prior-to-the-bell-and-having-it-ring-before-their-exit."

…

My...my home…?

I can see my home again?

I…

…

"Your-only-rule-is-that-you-cannot-bring-more-than-one-fellow-student-to-accompany-you." Monobotto rolled away. "This-attraction-is-completely-optional. However-I-have-no-doubt-you-will-find-use-in-it."

With that, the bucket of bolts disappeared to whatever sewers it lived in.

…

Go home...go home…

…

No...this is a trap, I'm sure. I can't fall for this. Nothing good will come out from this. It...it will only hurt me more.

…

So why...why did I step forward?

"Kozaki, what are you doing?" Zraiko frowned. "You can't seriously be thinking of going inside."

I stopped, looking back to Zraiko. "...I...I need to…"

"You can't let that robot into your head." Zraiko turned to walk away. "If you're smart, you won't play into Monobotto's hands."

I…

…

The crowd slowly decimated. Not because they didn't want to see their home, but because…

…

Because of what the killing game has done to us...breaking our minds...we can't even trust what we would find comfort in anymore without fearing that another murder would spark. Taking our love...and twisting it into a pitiful evil…

I looked back to the door, pulling out my Bottolet. It will be a quick trip, I told myself.

"Kozaki, let me come with you." Riko offered, stepping forward.

"Ah...thank you, Riko." I smiled, lightly. "I appreciate it."

"Yo puedo wait here for you both." Fraize crossed his arms, nodding. "Incase...something happens."

Weise raised his right hand. "I can help as well, oui! I want to make sure you will be safe, Kozaki." He smiled, crossing his arms behind his back. "Just like...how you promised to protect me, est-ce correct?"

Kyohi pumped a fist. "We'll be ready for action if anything happens!" He then nodded. "I hope it goes well, since...you've been on edge all day…"

"Thanks, guys." I nodded. "It...means a lot."

With that, I swiped my Bottolet into the scanner and shut my eyes, opening the door.

…

I was hit with a wave of familiarity...as if I was stepping inside through my front door.

Riko closed the door behind us, then looked around. "What a cozy home, Kozaki…"

I slowly walked to the kitchen, recalling all the many memories made there. The many plates of macaroni and cheese, the dinners I would eat with my parents...with my family.

…

Before...we fell apart…

…

I walked to the living room, sitting on the carpet that Shiro would always lay down on playfully.

I remembered the games I would play with Mikanne, the two of us warming up by the fireplace…

And the chairs...just as worn but loving as ever…

Laying down on the couch, I closed my eyes. I just...wanted to be swallowed up by the simulation. Wanted to open my eyes to see this was all a bad dream, to see...that I was still back home, with my family…

"Kozaki...are you alright?" Riko asked, softly.

Sitting up, I scratched the back of my head. "I...sorry. I just...was remembering a lot about home."

The clarinetist sat besides me on the couch, taking my hands gently. "Kozaki...I know you're feeling very...homesick. Believe me, I'm certain we all are. Please...let this visit bring you positive motivation instead of…"

"Riko, don't worry." I forced a smile. "I made a promise to the person I called, and I don't intend to break it. I only make promises when...I know I will see through that they will be kept."

She looked to the side for a moment, then back to me. "Would you...like to talk about yourself?"

…

I told her about my life at home, about how we lived from payment to payment. It wasn't much, but it was home. It was where my parents raised me, and I could never resent them for how hard they tried.

They tried...so damn hard…

And I let them down…

…

"Riko, come upstairs." I stood up, slowly. "I want to...show you my room."

We had a seat onto my bed, where I took in a deep breath.

What I wanted...more than anything…was to wake up like this was all a dream.

"Do you...feel the same?" I turned to her.

"If this was all a dream...I would have certainly mixed feelings…" She gulped.

"Why is that?" I blinked. "Wouldn't it be for the best?"

"Well...it would mean that you and I would never have met." She smiled, lightly. "And...I do appreciate your friendship, Kozaki. I can't say I've ever known someone quite like yourself."

"Jeez...thanks." I chuckled. "I try my best."

"But of course, sir arsonist." She curtsied, giggling.

A short silence.

"Riko...please...I want you to show me how you're really feeling." I looked her in the eyes. "I can see...yesterday hurt you. I don't want you to hold that weight inside. You...don't have to hide your troubles just to allow me to vent to you."

She looked down, saddened. "I apologize...it wasn't my intention…"

"Come on, partner." I patted her on the shoulder. "Now it's my turn to listen to you. It's only fair."

She held her hands together, taking in a deep breath. "I...don't know how to express it. I feel hurt, I feel betrayed...I thought Ingreis and I...grew close to each other…" She closed her eyes. "That we bonded over our stress...our anxieties about competing…"

"How do you feel...that Soro killed her to protect you?" I pressed her. "Do you feel...upset at him?"

"...I feel...I am not sure how to say it…" Her hands shook, lightly. "Should I be angry, Kozaki? If it weren't for him and Neizami, I might've been dead now. But at the same time...we've lost two more lives...and the killing game...it's still going on." She bit her lip.

"...Don't hold back." I pushed her harder. "I know you're feeling something more."

She sniffled, tearing up. "It hurts, Kozaki. It feels like a knife to my heart. I don't...I don't know what to feel..."

I pulled her in for a hug, trying to comfort her. "I...I don't know how you feel, but...I do because I feel the same. I'm angry...angry because there could've been some other way. I'm relieved, because you are still alive. I'm upset...so damn upset…"

"...Is this...what despair feels like, Kozaki?" She asked, hugging me tightly. "This sick, twisted feeling that stings my heart...is this it?"

I closed my eyes, nodding slowly.

…

There's nothing else it could be…

…

 _Despair..._

...

It took us a while before we left the representation of my home. Mostly because...I didn't want to leave. I wanted to keep living in the illusion...in the world where there was no killing game…

…

"Is everything okay, amigo?" Fraize asked, worriedly. "Estas triste? You've been crying…"

I wiped my face with the sleeve of my hoodie. "...I'll be okay. I needed to see my home again, anyways...to remember where I want to be."

He smiled, lightly. "Bien. Estoy feliz for you."

"So...it's not a trap?" Weise asked, eyes filled with hope. "Je...Je voudrais to go see my home, too..."

"No, it should be fine." I nodded, smiling. "Though...you should go with a buddy."

Weise turned to Kyohi smiling. "We have yet to get to know each other, oui? Come with me, Kyohi."

The hockey player smiled, feeling at his shoulder. "Gotcha. I hope we'll get to know each other well!"

As they walked into the Mono-shift Room, I looked to see Riko still wiping tears from her eyes.

"Hey, go get some rest for the remainder of today." I nodded. "You look like you really need it."

She giggled, softly. "Thank you, Kozaki...I will see you tomorrow."

I watched her slowly walk back towards her dorm room, then turning to mi amigo Fraize. "Thanks for waiting. Everything go well?"

Fraize crossed his arms. "Ah, well...we spend much of el tiempo listening to Weise talk about...ehh...ropa." He felt at the back of his neck, embarrassed. "My uniform...esta 'bon' o… 'pas bon' o...ahh...no sé!" He felt at his head, expressing his confusion.

I chuckled, patting him on the back. "It's fine, don't worry. You know how Weise is with his unique designs."

Fraize looked towards the Mono-shift Room, face carrying worry. "...His punishment…"

"Yeah...I'm worried about him as well…" I looked down. "...I can only hope that he will be left alone now."

"Sí." Fraize gulped. "Tengo esperanza que...he will be fine now…"

I then turned to leave. "Well...I'll see you at dinner, Fraize."

"Ah...espera." He walked in front of me, stopping me. "If it is alright...quieres visitar mi casa conmigo?"

I blinked, feeling my right arm. "Uh...if you want me to, sure. Why ask me, though?"

He blushed lightly, then shaking it off and turning away. "I will explain everything later, comprendes? Meet me a noche, por favor. A diez."

I watched as Fraize walked back towards the dorms, scratching the back of my head with an eyebrow raised.

…

What is he thinking about?

* * *

Dinner went by without much tension, the only oddity being Riko's absence as she had already gone to sleep. I returned Yuuta's diary just before, checking over some more fish recipes for future reference.

I'll make sure to cook with a buddy next time so I don't light the kitchen on fire. At least I'll help Anne cook so that her load is lightened...

...

Filet minion, probably the most expensive steak in the world. If I was still back home, I never would've even _dreamed_ of eating it.

Anne...she's really an incredible cook. If I can't cook her a meal in return as thanks, I'll have to find some other way to show my gratitude for all her hard work.

…

After dinner, I brushed my teeth and sat on my bed, patiently waiting for it to become ten. I set an alarm on my Bottolet to make sure I wouldn't miss it.

Once my alarm went off, I went to meet him as he requested.

I...wonder why Fraize wants to take me with him? He could've asked Mei, as they both speak Spanish and may have some form of synergy...but…

...I'll be sure to ask him later. For now, I guess I should just appreciate the invitation.

I found him waiting patiently by the door, checking his watch.

"Hey, Fraize." I waved, walking over. "I'm here."

The tour guide smiled as I walked over. "Amigo, buenas noches! Thank you for coming."

"Yeah, no problem." I scratched the back of my head. "So...you want to show me your home, right?"

"Sí." The tour guide chuckled. "Puedo make good use of my talent, verdad?"

"Hah, sure." I nodded. "Show me around, then."

Fraize nodded and swiped his Bottolet into the scanner, then opening the door. "Bienvenidos a mi casa, Kozaki."

We stepped inside, the ambiance feeling incredibly...comfy.

The colors were all warm, the rooms filled with a lot of clutter.

"Ah, lo siento for the mess." Fraize felt at his neck, embarrassed. "Yo...didn't expect this…"

"Heh, don't worry. My house isn't much better." I smiled, trying to be of comfort.

He smiled sheepishly in return, then taking some time to try and tidy up. Even though...it was all just a simulation…

...

It seemed like this was an apartment of some kind. I took a peek out the window to get a view of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, seemingly miles away.

"The view is...even better from...the balcony." Fraize spoke to me in pure English.

"Let's go see it, then." I smiled. "It's your house, after all."

"Eh...shortly." He smiled, walking towards a room. "Come see this, por favor."

I stepped in to find the room pretty small, with two sets of bunk beds.

Four...four people sleep in here?

"That one...at the top...is my bed." Fraize climbed up, taking a seat in his spot. "Mi hermana Annette, she sleeps...underneath."

"I see…" I crossed my arms, looking around. "And...who else is here?"

"Mis hermanos, Zeke y Aarón." Fraize climbed down. "Carla y Felix sleep con mi madre, as...they are quite young."

"Twins?" I asked, interested.

"Sí." He nodded.

I looked around in the small space. "So...where is your father sleeping? Not with your mother?"

He blinked, then looking away with a light frown. "...No."

He seemed to be bothered by this subject…

"Umm...why's that?" I tried to provide for a vent, if he needed.

"...Let's go up...to the balcony." Fraize brushed it off, taking me by the hand. "Come, amigo."

"O-Oh, alright." I nodded, following behind.

We had to swim through some clutter in order to get to the balcony, which was probably the only completely clean part of his home.

But the view, with a vivid sunset slowly dropping into the sea...it was beautiful.

We stood together, hands gripping the railings.

"The view is...amazing." I turned to him.

"Hehe...if only it was the real thing." He looked down, saddened. "I wish...you could see...the real thing…"

I patted him gently on the shoulder. "Sure I will. When we get out of here, you can show me your _real home._ You...you can even show me Barcelona."

He blushed lightly, nodding. "...Yes, I would like that very much."

Nodding in return, I smiled lightly. "Sure."

...

Fraize looked over to me, gulping. "Amigo...about this morning…"

I turned to him, leaning against the balcony railing. "Huh?"

"I want to...tell you a secret as well." He closed his eyes, starting to speak slowly to ensure his words were all translated. "After all...you've already told me...everything about you."

"Alright. I'm listening." I looked him in the eyes. "...You can trust me to keep your secret."

Fraize reached into his inner vest pocket to retrieve his Bottolet. Gulping, he handed it to me. "Por favor."

I looked to his Bottolet, unsure of what his secret was that could possibly be held here.

…

And then...I found it.

"Under your name…" I looked back to him, blinking. "There's another name here. Is that...yours?"

"Sí." He nodded, feeling the back of his head. "Me llamo Fraize Kimizai, pero...mi nombre es Ramón Loarte."

"...Why is your name a secret Fra...Ramón?" I asked, returning his Bottolet.

"Please...call me Fraize." The tour guide smiled. "Loarte was...from my father…"

"Did...your parents divorce?" I gulped, worried about mucking up such a touchy subject.

"Yes...my father...he used Mama. Made six children...left her to the dust." Fraize felt at his necklace. "Left us in...poverty. I the eldest...had to provide for them. Mama...she's not a citizen...can't find a job…"

"Fraize…" I patted him on the shoulder, gently.

"Mama is from Italy. Had to rely on my father...for everything." He began to tear up. "My father used her...faked love...just to have her be a model for…" He covered his face, tearing up. "It was in the middle...of the night when he left. Had a spat with Mama...he attacked her...and when Annette came to see what was wrong...father attacked her as well!" His voice became almost inaudible. "...Her screaming...is trapped in my mind...seeing her face bleed...I…"

"...I'm...I'm so sorry…" I gulped, not knowing how to respond.

"I couldn't keep the name...that man gave me. I...am not Ramón." He frowned at his Bottolet. "I don't want anything...to do with the man...who hurt my family."

I pulled him in for a hug, trying to comfort him. "Well...I know that Fraize is an amigo bueno. You are not the same as your father."

He hugged me back, tightly. "Amigo…"

We stood together in silence for a moment.

"...I wanted to ask...if you would let me…" Fraize wiped his tears with a smile. "About...your story."

"Yeah?" I blinked, waiting to see what his question would be.

"...If you hadn't attempted to...take your life…" He looked me in the eyes. "Where do you think...you would be now?"

I looked away, feeling at my right arm. "Honesty…I have no fucking clue. The me that I am now is the only me I know."

He smiled, taking my hands. "Then I want...this you to know...people love him."

I chuckled, closing my eyes. "I mean... obviously my parents do. Anybody else…?"

Fraize paused for a moment, now smiling bashfully. "...Sí."

"Huh?" I blinked, confusedly.

Fraize pulled me in for another hug. "...I know...why I've been feeling weird…"

"You do?" I asked, hugging him back slowly.

"...When I'm around you...I feel...many things. Comfort...safety…joy…" He relaxed his body.

I continued to stand there, not quite sure where this was going. "Uhh...y-you do…?"

"I want...those feelings...to last." Fraize whispered.

I still...didn't understand…

He feels...good things around me?

Why? I'm a madness magnet...I...I even told him everything about my arsonism…

…

I…

"...Kozaki." Fraize gently stroked my hair. "...When we escape...would you be...mi novio?"

...Novio…?

"Wh...what?" I looked to him.

"Aaah...you're making me say it...aren't you?" He pulled away, blushing. "...Maybe it...was too early to ask. Lo siento."

Too early to…

What? What was he saying?

Ask me what?

He chuckled, beginning to walk away from the balcony. "Un tiempo otro."

"N...No, wait." I turned to him. "Novio. That...that means… _boyfriend._ "

"Aaah...hehe…" Fraize scratched the back of my head. "Sí. Kozaki, I...really like you."

…

I...I don't know how to feel about this…

"Are you…" I gulped. "Really...really…"

Fraize walked back to me. "Sí. Me quiero un...relación seria contigo one day."

…

Everything...slowed down…

Fraize placed a hand onto my left cheek, looking at me in the eyes.

...I...I was scared…I didn't know what was happening...what was going on in his mind…

"I asked you...to come with me...because I…" Fraize leaned in, kissing me on the right cheek. "...I needed to tell you."

I stood still, not quite processing what was going on. Did he...did he just…?

"...Even if you don't feel the same way." Fraize backed away, placing a hand over his heart. "I needed to get that off my chest."

With that, he left.

…

He...he...what?

Wh...what?

Wait...hold on here!

We only just met like...a few days ago!

Wh...why…?

...Is it...because deep down inside...he thinks we're going to die?

…

If that's it...I can understand…

...I would want to die...with someone to call my own…

…

But...even still!

Why me? What...what does he even see in me?

"W...Wait!" I hurried after him, but...he had already left the Mono-shift Room. "...At least...tell me why…"

…

* * *

I never had the chance to ask him, since he had already gone to his room for the night.

…

What time even is it?

11:40, huh…yeah, I guess we must've missed the night bell.

…

I need to get to sleep…

I changed into my pajamas, relieved myself, brushed my teeth…

...But I wasn't focused at all.

Fraize...

…

How am I supposed to respond to this?

Should I be angry? Should I be...happy?

I…

…

We haven't known each other for long at all, and yet…

…

I placed a hand over my heart, closing my eyes.

How long has he...been thinking about this?

…

I should've known there was something going on, but…

I never...really expected this.

I never expected...someone to be…

…

But...it makes me feel…comfort.

...Comfort to know that somebody...somebody loves me…

...

I laid down on my bed, closing my eyes.

I'm lost…I don't know...how to feel…

…

Fraize…do I...feel the same?

…

I turned to the side upon hearing the sound of a beep from my Bottolet.

…

Is it…?

I picked up the tablet and sat upright, opening the messaging app.

…

 _'Are you free to talk right now?'_

…

"I mean...I was about to sleep, but...sure." I sighed. "...What's up?"

 _'You seem to be...unwell.'_

"Oh, sure. Yeah, I'm unwell. Real unwell. Everyone...everyone is going to die. It's all fine, though! Just...just fine…" I laid down on my bed. "...No...it's not fine...I can't do this...I can't protect them…"

 _'You mustn't give up, Fifty-four. I know right now...you don't believe things will be alright. But...it's that belief that will help you to survive.'_

…

"Heh...it's not like you know anything about what I'm going through. That pain…" I placed a hand over my chest. "...That...despair…"

' _I do.'_

"Huh?" I blinked.

 _'I do know that pain. That pain...of what killing games can bring. That pain of watching your friends kill each other. That pain of wondering if you're next to die…'_

Silently, I waited to see if there was more he or she would say.

 _'There weren't many survivors in my game.'_

...Wait a minute…

I sat up, feeling at my head. "...Your...game?"

 _'Ah...I really shouldn't be talking about this. Another time, I'd like to tell you all about it. For now...I don't want to compromise our mission.'_

"Your mission...to save us, right?" I forced a smile. "You'll...you'll save us, and...nobody else will die. Right?"

 _'I don't want to make any promises...after all...it's part of the game is that motives are given to cause murders. I don't know how many of you will be alive by the time we come.'_

…

The truth...hurts…

 _'We've estimated your location, thanks to one of your friends working to make a connection.'_

Does Fifty-three mean...Zraiko?

"...Please." I clutched my Bottolet, hands shaking. "Get us out of here…"

 _'I shall do everything I can. Please. Don't stop believing in yourself and the others. Find...the strength within you and your friends...to end this killing game.'_

…

"I'll do...everything I can." I nodded. "Fifty-three... I'll protect my friends. I have to."

' _I look forward to speaking with you again.'_

"...Heh. Thanks." I sighed, looking down. "I guess I've made a good impression, haven't I?"

 _'Ah...an impression for sure.'_

I looked to my bed, ready to sleep. "...I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight, Fifty-three."

 _'Rest well, Fifty-four.'_

With that, I got under the blankets and closed my eyes.

…

I've got to protect them. That is what Yuuta, Kamiyaki, Ingreis, and Soro wish for.

…

 _Make nice memories with everyone._

…

I'm going to keep us alive, in harmony. We'll survive.

…

We have to survive.

* * *

~Chapter Three, Daily Life One, End~


	15. Ball of the Blood Moon Daily Life 2

…

Rolling...humming…

…

I feel cold…

…

"You-sure-are-quite-the-handful. You-bring-new-surprises-every-night-Kozaki-Daisuke. You-truly-are-a-peculiar-individual."

...Monobotto…

"Up-you-go-then. Perhaps-they-should-install-a-language-filter-in-you. Your-mouth-spews-such-fowl-nonsense-all-the-time. It-is-a-hindrance."

...Heh...fuck you, too…

…

I couldn't open my eyes, as I didn't have the strength to do so. All I could do was...listen. Listen to the sounds around me, try to...find out what's going on…

…

I must've been brought to the observatory. I can feel my body...my body is being held down…

…

Movement.

There...must be some sort of contraption here that moves from the observatory to...wherever that lab place is…

…

The movement stopped.

…

No, there's movement again.

What kind of crazy place is this…?

…

The movement stopped again. I think...I've arrived.

Arrived where? What even is this place?

Some freakish lab...

...

"...Isn't this a peculiar turning of events?"

"Erito is going to be quite surprised."

"Surprised? I think the word you are looking for is amused."

"I think he's going to laugh his ass off when he finds out about this, wouldn't you say?"

...Voices…

"Alright, alright. Hurry up with the preparations. I honestly can't wait to tell him all about this."

"One and Six, sitting in a tree…"

"Haha, shut up and go already."

…

I heard the sound of a door open and close.

"...Well what do we have here? Are you awake, Number One? I didn't realise the effective dose would change so quickly for you."

...What?

"Hey, this would be a good opportunity to continue your survey." The person tapped me on the shoulder. "Come on, I know you're awake. No use in hiding it."

I slowly opened my eyes, turning to the figure.

"There you are." The person stepped back. "Am I speaking with Kozaki Daisuke right now?"

"...Who the hell do you _think_ you're speaking to?" I frowned, looking away.

"Ah, so that is a yes." The person took a seat on a nearby chair. "I'll ask you a few questions, and you will answer them."

…

If only I wasn't restrained...I would punch that fucker in the face and run…

"Let me ask...what do you remember from before your...installation?" The person pulled out a clipboard.

...Installation?

"Uh...what the fuck is ' _installation'_ supposed to mean?" I squinted my eyes.

The individual paused. It seems that my question surprised him or her. "...Ah…"

"Don't 'ah' me. I want an answer." I tried to sit up, although I couldn't. "I want to know what the hell is going on here."

"...Since you were placed into the killing game, Number One." The person wrote into the clipboard. "What do you remember prior to this?"

"I don't think I need to tell you anything." I turned away. "Just hurry up with your 'Zepto' nonsense and 'cleaning' and...leave me alone."

"...Very well then." The person placed the clipboard onto the floor, then walked over to a nearby counter to put on rubber gloves. "If you wish to know, you have a scheduled operation today. It is in concern to the upcoming motive, so we need to make sure the playing field will be leveled for you and your friends…"

…

"I don't get it. Why not just kill us all now?" I closed my eyes. "Just...end this…"

"...It wouldn't be a killing game anymore. Where's the entertainment in that?" The person chuckled. "The suspense...the drama…"

"Oh, that's right. This is some dumb show you're forcing people to watch..." I sighed.

" _Danganronpa_ isn't just a mere show, Number One." The person walked over to me, holding a syringe. "It's a legacy."

"..." I glared at the individual, a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Now then, hold still…" The person reached over to me, pulling up my sleeve and beginning the injection.

…

Just then...the door was opened with a violent force. The person turned around, their face being slammed by a jar of cotton balls.

It...it was…

"I found you, thank goodness you are alright, amigo. Rapido." Fraize freed me from the restraints, helping me to stand. "Esta bien?"

"Fraize? How...how did...?" I tried to ask.

"Not now." He took me by the hand and began to run. "I woke up alone...I heard cultists talking about you...so...I had to find you."

"Talking about me…?" I gulped. "What...what were they saying?"

We snuck into a bathroom with Fraize locking the door. "...Do you...know about anyone named...Erito?"

"...Those freaks were...asking me about that." I frowned. "No, I've never met anyone named Erito...never in my life."

"The way they talk about you...it sounds as though Erito knows you." Fraize sat on the ground, crossing his arms.

"And...what about Zepto? Did you hear anything...anything about it?" I asked him.

He scratched the back of his head. "Vaguely. El proyecto...they say there is smooth progress."

Smooth progress, huh? For what? What even is Zepto?

…

"Fraize, we...have to get out of here…" I slowly stood up. "We…" I staggered, losing my balance.

"Amigo, esta bien?" Fraize asked, catching me. "You look pale...y tus ojos…"

I felt so sick all of a sudden, though I didn't know why. I was dizzy, I felt like puking…

…

That injection…

"Kozaki, hola? Can you hear me?" He shook me. "Responde, por favor."

…I tried to say something, but...I don't know what came over me. I felt pain, my head was aching…

"Amigo, what's wrong? Say something!" Fraize tried to help me.

…

I don't know why or how...what those cultists have been doing to me...to make me feel so sick...

...

I passed out…

* * *

...

"He seems to be alright, though...it's hard to imagine someone could sleep in for this long.." I heard someone's voice say.

"What should we do?" Asked another voice.

"I'll get him some spicy tea, just watch over him for now."

"Alright, I'll stay here. Thanks Anne."

…

I heard the sound of a door open and close, so I opened my eyes to see Kyohi waiting by my bed.

"Gosh, Kozaki. How can you sleep for so long? It's almost lunch time..." He gulped, looking around. "Sorry for coming into your room like this…"

I tried to sit up, slowly. "K...Kyohi? What are you…?"

"We were worried that...something happened to you." Kyohi stood up. "Do you...want me to leave?"

"I…" I stood up, rubbing my eyes. "Y-Yeah, I'll get dressed and...join you for lunch…"

Kyohi turned to leave. "Are you sure you're okay, Kozaki? If you're feeling sick, I-I can tell everyone…"

I shook my head, forcing a smile. "I...I shouldn't trouble you. It was just a nightmare, really. I'll be over in a bit."

He nodded. "Okay...if you need me, let me know. I want to be your helper besides just...taking notes on crime scenes…" He looked down, gulping.

"Thanks, Kyohi. I'll let you know if anything comes up." I felt at my right arm. "We'll...see how today goes."

"Got it." He smiled in return, then leaving my room.

…

I got dressed and left the room, feeling lightheaded.

What even happened last night? I feel so unrested, despite sleeping in…

I opened the door to the dining room, scratching the back of my head. "G-Good morning…e-err...good afternoon?"

"Did you sleep enough, Kozaki?" Zraiko asked, frowning.

I took a seat at the dining table, sighing. "Sorry...I didn't mean to worry you all."

"We're having lasagna today, and you're just in time." Tikari smiled. "You feel rested, eh?"

"Ah...I guess so…" I felt the back of my head.

"Sweety, I have your tea for you!" Anne walked over, placing a steaming cup in front of me. "Chamomile, to help you relax."

I nodded. "Thank you, Anne. That's...really nice of you…"

…

Lunch went decently. Neizami seemed ready to leave, but was held back by Kyohi who encouraged her to stay. We all talked about many things, mostly involving hope for...freedom. Seeing my home...kindled my desire for survival. We all wanted to live...we wanted to go home…

"What-a-lovely-meal-you-have." Monobotto rolled into the room. "May-I-join-you-?"

"I get the feeling you will anyways despite what we say." Kyohi felt at his shoulder in discomfort.

"Excellent-deduction-Kyohi-Hayai." Monobotto hopped into a seat. "I-have-come-with-an-expansion-to-yesterday's-house-warming-motive. As-it-seems-many-of-you-were-uninterested-in-using-the-room…" Monobotto spun around once, simply. "You-all-have-the-opportunity-to-utilize-this-free-of-charge."

"Uh...great…" Sayino scratched the back of her head. "So...what is this supposed to be?"

"You-may-each-ask-me-one-question. It-can-be-anything. I-will-have-to-provide-you-with-a-solid-answer."

...That sounded too good to be true. But...even so, I...I needed to know what's going on with me…

...What are...all those cultists doing? What is cleaning, what are all these procedures... installations...I just...I want to know…

…

"Who-will-ask-first-?" Monobotto scanned the dining room.

There was a long silence. It seemed as though we were all too skeptical to believe Monobotto, expecting this to be a false promise. But…

"...Mère…" Weise looked up, gulping. "...What were her last words?"

Monobotto paused, most likely to try and retrieve an answer. On one hand, I didn't expect it to provide any answer of the sort. How would it even get this information in the first place? But...then again...considering where we are and what's going on…

"Emilia-Vayrne's-final-words-were-as-follows..." Monobotto focused on Weise. "My-deepest-regret-is-that-I-was-unable-to-spend-enough-time-with-our-son. I-wish-I-could-kiss-him-on-the-cheeks-one-last-time. Tell-him-that-I-love-him-for-me. Darling-I-love-you-and-him-dearly. Please-bring-him-home. Take-care-of-Weise-while-I-am-gone. I-love-you."

Weise began to tear up, clutching his hands together. "M...Mère…"

Mest, who was sitting next to the fashion designer, provided him with a tight hug.

...It seems as though Monobotto wasn't lying. Then...this would be the perfect opportunity to ask about…

...But...should I really ask this?

"...E-Excuse me…" Neizami gulped, looking to Monobotto. "When...when Raiku confessed to me, the day I was taken...did he really mean it?"

...Someone confessed to Neizami? Huh...I wonder if she would want to talk about it…

The soccer ball of bolts turned to the digital artist. "Yes. The-confession-was-completely-honest."

Neizami looked down, silently. It seems that this caused her pain. I wanted to check up on her, but...maybe I'll wait until after lunch to have the chance to speak with her.

"Eh, Monobotto. Tell me how my brother is doing with his elections." Tikari turned to Monobotto. "Is the campaign fairing well?"

Monobotto paused, processing an answer. "Your-brother-is-leading-in-the-polls-by-sixteen-percent."

"Thank you." Tikari felt at her beanie, seemingly relieved.

...Huh. Her brother is running in an election? I wonder what for...I should ask her about this as well. Arhg...I'll want to speak with everyone at this rate...

Sayino placed her hands at her hips, closing her eyes. "Hey, rubbish bin. What do my parents think of this whole dog's dinner?"

Monobotto spun around once. "Your-parents-are-concerned-for-your-well-being. Despite-the-fact-you-believe-they-resent-you…" It further processed its answer. "Sayino-Makora. They-hope-for-your-safe-return-home."

The motorcyclist sighed, feeling at her helmet. "Truly, huh…"

"Ah, my turn is it?" Anne raised her hand. "Excuse me, but...how is my father handling the bakery in my absence?"

Another moment to get an answer, Monobotto beeped simply, "He-fares-well-although-he-is-not-completely-focused. Mostly-due-to-your-lack-of-presence."

Anne placed a hand over her heart. "Father…"

...Yep, the list of people I want to speak with is growing for sure. Though...they'll all need to wait. Mostly because...there's someone I need to speak with first. I need to talk to him about...last night…

"Mi familia...esta bien?" The tour guide asked, gulping.

"As-you-were-the-only-one-providing-income-for-your-family…" The bucket of bolts turned to Fraize. "Your-sister-Annette-Kimizai-is-now-working. In-addition-to-this-the-local-community-has-been-providing-donations-to-your-family. Mostly-in-part-due-to-your-positive-impact-to-the-neighborhood."

"Ah…" He looked down. It seems he was worried to hear about this...

The clarinetist decided to take a turn. "How did my aunt find my performance, the one she saw before she passed away?"

Monobotto was quick with this reply. "Your-aunt-was-proud-of-you."

Riko was caught off guard by this, but then closed her eyes with a smile. "I hope...to continue to make her proud…"

"...Monobotto...you can answer any question?" Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "Anything at all?"

"But-of-course." The robot soccer ball turned to the hockey player. "What-would-you-like-to-ask-?"

I thought for a second Kyohi was going to ask for the meaning of life, given the set up he had. Perhaps even ask for the answer to an unsolved mystery for all mankind…

"What happened to my cousin Oru?" He felt at his neck. "He's been missing for years, and nobody knows what happened to him…"

A long pause, and then an answer. "He-was-murdered." Monobotto replied, coldly.

"M-Murdered...?" Kyohi gulped, eyes wide.

"By-an-organization-notorious-for-targeting-special-individuals." The bucket of bolts hopped up and down. "Like-an-action-movie-! Oh-how-exciting-!"

The hockey player looked down, saddened. It seems he was deeply hurt to find this out, and...the fact that Monobotto was being so insensitive about it…

…

Missing people...I…

…

I know what I want to ask about now…

"...Hey, wingnut." I turned to Monobotto. "There's something I need to know. Something I've been wondering for years."

The bucket of bolts turned to me. "Ask-your-question-Kozaki-Daisuke."

"..." I closed my eyes. "...How is Mikanne Aiyaga doing?"

A long silence.

I opened my eyes insecurely. "W-Well...you're supposed to answer me, aren't you? What gives?"

Monobotto spun around once, slowly. "Your-childhood-friend-Mikanne-Aiyaga. This-is-who-you-are-referring-to. Correct-?"

"Y-Yeah...so?" I frowned.

Monobotto stopped, locking its glassy eyes with me. "Mikanne-Aiyaga-is-dead."

…

N...No…

That can't...that can't be. I…

…

...No...

I covered my face with my hands, tearing up. I couldn't believe it…

The person I've been waiting to see...for years...waiting and waiting, hoping and praying to see him one last time...to speak with him once more...to thank him for all the good he gave me…

…

He's gone…

…

But I didn't feel...completely upset…

Maybe because...it's been so long, I...can barely remember much about him?

Mik...I'm...I'm so sorry...please...forgive me…

...

"Next-question-?" Monobotto turned to Mest.

"...Hmm...how is my family?" The tattoo artist asked after some thought.

I was surprised to hear Mest did not ask about how his childhood friend was doing. Was it because...he didn't want to know if he was dead?

…

He didn't want...that pain…?

…

"Your-family-fares-well. Though-they-do-worry-greatly-about-you." Monobotto provided its answer.

Two people left to ask questions…

"Mi hermano." Mei pointed to Monobotto, frowning. "How is he?"

"Your-brother-leads-the-Peruvian-Revolution-in-your-absence." Monobotto rolled around, seemingly excited. "How-fun-it-must-be-to-partake-in-a-revolution-?"

R-Revolution…?!

I mean...I heard on the news all about it, but…

M-Mei is leading a revolution?!

Damn it, the list of people to talk to keeps growing! I might not get any sleep at all…

Last but not least...Zraiko…

He'll probably ask something intelligent, something to help us besides a question the rest of us had. Our...selfish questions…

"Who is controlling you, Monobotto?" Zraiko frowned, adjusting his glasses. "The… _ **mastermind,**_ if you wish to call it that. Who is it?"

…

Damn...he's putting Monobotto on the spot. And...it has to give an answer now.

The identity of the mastermind...isn't it just...the leading cultist or something?

"The-mastermind-of-this-killing-game." Monobotto spun around, amused. "You-are-asking-me-this-?"

"Exactly that." Zraiko crossed his arms, coldly. "Who is organizing this?"

A silence...and then…

"The-mastermind-is-closer-to-you-than-you-think." Monobotto prepared to exit the room.

"T-That's all you're going to say?" Zraiko fumbled for words. "I-I was expecting a name-"

"You-did-not-ask-for-the-individual's-name." Monobotto sprouted a hand to open the door. "You-asked-who-the-mastermind-is. So-I-answered. You-cannot-ask-me-another-question."

Groaning, Zraiko gave himself a facepalm.

"Farewell-you-fools." Monobotto exited the dining room, closing the door behind it.

A brief silence. The hacker took off his glasses, fuming at all of us. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?! You should've asked about escaping or some shit, damn you!"

"Z-Zraiko, please calm down…" Neizami gulped.

Zraiko pointed to Neizami. "I'm not taking any orders from you! You got two people killed!"

The digital artist teared up, then silently left the dining room.

"That was uncalled for." Sayino frowned.

"There's a mastermind here, making us play this sick game. If this person is closer than we think, then it only means one thing!" Zraiko stood up. "It's one of us."

"O-One...one of us?" Anne gulped, feeling at her cheek. "Surely not, dear. I can't imagine anyone of us doing such a cruel thing."

"Given how Neizami got two people killed, I say it's her." Zraiko put his glasses back on, frowning.

"I-I think you're getting a little too caught up here, eh?" Tikari felt at her beanie.

"Nikiroi, sit down and discuss this civilly, por favor." Mei crossed her arms, swinging her legs up onto the table.

Mastermind...one of us is responsible for starting this killing game?

That can't be right...who in their right mind would want this?!

…

I stood up from the table, opening the door.

"Kozaki, where are you going?" Riko asked, worriedly.

"I need to check on Neizami." I looked back to the others. "She needs someone to talk to."

"Bring someone with you, then." Zraiko pointed at me. "She might try to kill you if you're alone."

"Zraiko, please. That's rubbish." Sayino waved a hand at him.

"I-I'll come with him." Kyohi stood up, smiling.

I nodded. "Thanks, Kyohi."

"We'll be discussing the identity of this 'mastermind' while you're gone." Zraiko placed both his hands onto the table, critically examining everyone. "I want to hear answers."

"I-I don't believe it's any one of us…" Weise gulped, twiddling his fingers. "Non...you're taking ces trop loin…"

"And there you go again." Zraiko rolled his eyes. "Being so naive. Perhaps...it's all an act?"

"An act...? Es-tu accusing me?!" The fashion designer gasped, frowning. "Non, I'm not the le cerveau! Why would I ever do something so...so cruel?!"

The hacker glared towards Weise. "I don't know, Weise. Why would you?"

"Guys…" Riko gulped. "Calm down, please…"

Kyohi and I quickly left the room, closing the door behind us.

I...I highly doubt the mastermind is one of us. Perhaps there is a different meaning to 'someone closer than you think.'

After all...those cultists have been messing with us all this time, playing with us like puppets in this killing game…

…

They might be hiding somewhere around. I'm...I'm convinced they are the ones responsible for this…

…

If not...I'll be sick to my stomach...

…

Not now, Kozaki. I need to go find Neizami and make sure she is alright.

* * *

"Neizami?" I peeked through into the garden. "Are you here?"

The digital artist, sitting besides the graves, turned to look at me silently.

I walked over with caution, not wishing to bring her anxiety. "Hey...are you okay?"

She sniffed, shaking her head. "N-No...not at all…"

Kyohi carefully walked into the room, taking a seat next to the other side of Neizami. "You can...talk about it, if you want."

Neizami looked to her hands, saddened. "Zraiko's right...nobody can trust me anymore. I...I can't even...trust me…"

"I still trust you." Kyohi smiled. "Remember when we woke up, Neizami?"

Neizami turned to Kyohi, silently.

"We're partners, right?" The hockey player crossed his legs. "We got to know all about each other. You like digital art, and your favorite paints to use are watercolor. You love to paint settings in nature, especially flowers and other plants. Your parents were weary of your dream, but...your childhood friend Raiku supported you every step of the way!" He nodded. "You are very kind, always thinking about others. That's all you want, right? The goal of your art." He pointed to her. "You want to use your art to bring smiles to everyone."

Neizami smiled, lightly. "I...I do…"

"This...Raiku." I spoke up. "About what Monobotto said…"

"Yes…" Neizami closed her eyes. "He confessed to me the day I was kidnapped. I...never had the chance to answer him."

"...Want to talk about it?" I tried probing her.

The digital artist opened her eyes, looking towards the graves. "...He called me over to our favorite meeting spot, u-under a lemon tree we planted together as children...it was just beginning to blossom...and well...t-the question caught me off guard."

"So you never answered him?" Kyohi asked, saddened.

Neizami brushed her fingertips against the ground. "I...I told him I would think about it. I went to go and draw, since...it helps me calm down...and then...I heard a knocking sound from outside. I thought he was throwing pebbles at my window, as he usually does to get me to come outside…" She felt at her scarf. "But...when I came outside, back over to the lemon tree...he wasn't there. I-Instead…"

"Those cultists nabbed you." I frowned.

She nodded, silently.

Kyohi patted her on the back, gently. "Gosh, Neizami. You'll get out of here, and you'll tell him how you feel."

Neizami shook her head. "N-Not after what I did...what if...what if I get killed because they think I'll cause another murder?!"

"That's not going to happen." I frowned. "Nobody wants this damn game to keep repeating. We will put a stop to this. To die now, when people are watching us fall into insanity...no, I refuse."

Neizami looked to Kyohi and myself. "Why...why aren't you upset?"

"Huh?" Kyohi blinked.

"The people you asked about...M-Monobotto told you...they're dead…" She looked down. "A-And yet...here you are trying to...to help me...why?"

…

"I am upset." I placed a hand over my heart. "The pain...it hurts like hell. It hurts so much...and combined with the pain of everything else...I'm numb inside." I closed my eyes. "...But...if I want to survive...if I want all of us to survive...I can't cry about it all...I have to stay focused...have to make sure everyone is okay…" I turned to Neizami. "And that includes you. I want you to be okay, Neizami. Chances are, once I'm alone in my room, I'll cry a fucking waterfall."

Kyohi coughed, lightly.

"...Sorry." I chuckled. "Force of habit."

The hockey player looked to the digital artist. "As for Oru...he's been missing for years. At least now...I have an answer." He felt at his right shoulder. "I'd rather know for sure than...have it be left unknown forever…"

Neizami nodded, slowly. "I...I see…" She then stood up, feeling at her scarf. "Thank you two, for...speaking with me. I'll do all I can to...m-make amends with everyone."

"Great!" Kyohi stood up. "Actually, Neizami...there's something I want to show you!"

"H-Huh?" She gulped, nervously.

"Follow me! Let's go to my Shift Room!" Kyohi turned to me. "Coming, Kozaki?"

I smiled lightly. "I'll meet you guys there. I just...need some more time here for now."

Kyohi nodded, then taking Neizami by the hand. "Alright, on we go!"

With that, the two partners headed off.

* * *

You should join the team, they told me. You're such a fantastic runner, you know? We could really use your help.

But I can't join, I told them. I don't have the time to spare, I need to study for all my classes. I'm really sorry.

Well, I was lying about that. It wasn't just because I had things to study. I didn't want to risk having high expectations from me or getting close to them, I didn't want to be bitten in the ass for my fuckups.

We won't judge you for your record, it's okay. Besides, maybe channeling your anger through athletics instead will serve you well?

I'll think about it, but...I really don't know. I've never really thought about athletics, honestly. It's not something I am...interested in. Please, forgive me...I can't see myself joining a team and taking the spot of someone who would really want it.

We understand. Our door is open if you ever change your mind, though. Please take care of yourself.

…

I...I did want it, though. Well...I did, I thought anyways. It's such a difficult feeling to understand.

I wasn't interested in athletics, it wasn't my calling. But...I wanted to do something that would show people the good I could do. I wanted to score a point to win the game, I wanted to be...a hero.

And that's what drove me away. I couldn't twist something for my own selfish endeavors.

I could've pushed myself harder academically. I could've tried to shoot to become the valedictorian, but I couldn't see myself doing that. I wasn't that dedicated, I didn't want it that much. I wasn't going to lie to myself about it, either.

…

I tried time and time again to make good out of myself, but I never managed. Things would always go awry, and...I accepted that. I became numb to it.

...Despair. It always has a powerful meaning to it. Perhaps because of _Danganronpa_ and its influence it had over the masses. The very idea of despair...it was treated as though it was a terminal disease.

But I didn't see it that way. I actually...I actually believed hope was that virus. As taught in the show, hope was something that constantly survived. Almost in a delusional sort of way.

He said it best, when he yelled out to all of us. The madness only continues _because hope always wins._

I was tired of it.

 **Hope was a lie told to all of us, to keep us young and naive. Hope...is a utopia that people will drive themselves mad to reach for, finding themselves with nothing.**

Nothing, there is nothing, Hope is nothing, nothing at all.

...

I embraced despair.

* * *

I waited in the garden a bit longer before finally going to Kyohi's Shift Room. After giving the door a quick knock, I stepped inside to see him skating around a wooden rink with rollerblades.

"Alright, I'm getting back into it!" He smiled, excitement in his eyes. Gosh, I've never seen him like this before.

Neizami was watching him off to the side, smiling while making some doodles in her drawing tablet.

I decided to sit down besides her. "Hey, Neizami. How are you feeling?"

Neizami turned to me, showing a revitalization within her spirit. "I'm...I'm doing so much better." She showed me her drawing. "I-I've got this amazing sketch going, a-and I'm so excited about it!" She grew quite giddy. "I-It'll be amazing! I-I just have to finish it…!"

It seems she was back to her cheerful self, with art once again showing her more...energetic side.

"Heya, Kozaki!" Kyohi stopped before me, smiling warmly. "Wanna join me?" He pointed to some hockey sticks and portable goals lined up against the wall. "Neizami has been drawing me while I practice skating. Maybe playing a game will help make for some real action shots!"

…

Skating…

…

I looked down, feeling at my right arm in discomfort. I...I don't think I can…

Not after Ingreis…

…

"I'm sorry, Kyohi." I sighed, closing my eyes. "I...really shouldn't…"

The hockey player gulped, understanding my sentients. "G-Gosh...I'm sorry Kozaki. I-I didn't mean…"

"It's okay." I tried to reassure him. "I'll...be fine…"

…

At least...that's what I kept telling myself. I kept saying...kept repeating…in my mind…

Yuuta died, but I'll be fine…

Kamiyaki died, but I'll be fine…

Ingreis died, but I'll be fine…

Soro died, but I'll be fine…

…

It was a lie I kept telling myself.

"...Hey Kozaki?" Kyohi sat down on the floor, feeling his necklace. "Can I...talk to you about something?"

"Hmm?" I sat down on the floor as well, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Do you think...their souls are trapped in here?" Kyohi closed his eyes. "That...because they died in such cruel ways...they can't make it to the world beyond?"

…

I...never expected this to come from Kyohi.

…

"I...I don't know…" I looked down. "All I can do is...hope that they are in a better place now…"

"Can you tell me...do you believe that?" He asked, opening his eyes and hugging his knees. "Did they truly...escape from here?"

…

I placed a hand over my heart, smiling lightly. "I believe that they're resting peacefully. Though their bodies are stuck here...that doesn't mean they are."

...Frankly, I never expected to have this kind of conversation with Kyohi...let alone _anyone_ for that matter.

"Do you think…" Neizami looked up to the ceiling. "That...there is an afterlife?"

I looked down, feeling my right arm. "I...I mean...it's my religion that there is one. I...want to believe there is a better place. A sanctuary...where nobody has to suffer…"

Kyohi felt at his neck. "I don't know...I mean...nobody _can_ know, right? But it's what I hope for…"

Neizami looked back to us, nodding thoughtfully. "I see…"

…

"You know...I've been praying every night." Kyohi smiled. "I know it might seem...pretty darn futile. How can there be a higher power who watches over us? If this...deity exists...why hasn't any help come our way? Why are we here, right?" He looked upwards. "But...I don't know about you guys...maybe this deity has been here all along."

"What do you mean?" I looked to the hockey player.

"In my religion…" He looked to me. "I believe that this deity exists in all of us. That's why...we're still here. That's why we haven't given up." Kyohi nodded with mild confidence. "We all can make it out of here if we don't give up. That's why I'll keep praying. I'll keep praying every gosh darn night."

"Kyohi…" Neizami felt at her scarf.

"I believe...everyone has good in them." Kyohi giggled. "It might sound naive, right? But...it's how I've been getting by. Dealing with the loss of my twin sister...I couldn't without my faith."

I was about to ask him about it, but it seems he expected this.

"She died of illness." Kyohi gulped. "After a long, three-year-battle. But...she was smiling every day. She bit down hard, she kept fighting with everything she had. I still remember...what she asked me to do when she passed away." He closed his eyes, feeling his necklace. "Pray every night for compassion, greet every stranger with a smile, and always look to help the best interest of others."

…

"I sometimes call these my _Three Requests._ They've become...part of my faith, in a way." He opened his eyes. "So, Neizami."

Neizami blinked. "Hmm?"

"That's why I know you're a good person." Kyohi grinned.

She cracked a smile. "T-Thank you…"

…

This whole place...this madhouse…

There's only so much we can do. We can keep believing and we can keep fighting...but…

...Are we just wasting our energy?

…

I was beginning to lose faith, to be honest. If I am being watched by a merciful deity...why is everything turning to a shitshow?

…

Are we all just...specks of dust? Waiting for the inevitable day where we are blown away from the universe?

...

It was then when I closed my eyes to absorb everything. It seems like there's so much to this place, but...after being trapped here for this long...I finally am starting to come to terms with just how small this prison was. Limited to three floors, technically speaking, with only so much room devoted to actual living activities.

…

We're trapped in space. I've seen so with my own eyes…

…

But perhaps...I needed to see it again to come to terms with the situation we were all in.

I needed to see the stars again. I was tired of the artificial, the controlled. Let me push away the thoughts of killing games and other people...so I can see just how small and insignificant I am.

…

And I knew just where to go.

"Kozaki, you're leaving?" Kyohi asked, watching as I stood up.

"Y-Yeah." I nodded, feeling the back of my head. "Thanks for your hospitality, but...I need some time for myself now."

The hockey player and digital artist exchanged glances, then looking back to me and nodding in unison. With that, I waved farewell.

* * *

I entered the library's second floor to find Fraize sitting down at a table with a book open.

Maybe this would be a good time to talk about yesterday…

...No. I'm...not ready yet…

...

Oh, what the hell? I may as well invite him with me. If I don't tell him now, I may never do so.

"Hey...is this a good time?" I walked over, taking a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "I...hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Fraize looked up to me with a smile, shaking his head. "No worries, amigo. I was just reading about fiestas."

A book about...parties?

Hmm...whatever puts him in a good mood, I guess that's for the better.

"Esta bien, amigo?" He asked, putting the book down.

I scratched the back of my head with embarrassment. "Well...I just wanted to talk. About...last night…"

His smile slowly faded, his face now carrying worry. "...Sí?"

I looked towards the stairs and stood up. "Actually...let me tell you in a little. I want you to come with me upstairs."

He stood up as well, although he was confused. "Pero...el observatorio?"

"Yep." I took him by the hand, leading him upstairs. "I need to see something first. A...a reminder, I guess."

The door...it wasn't locked this time. Weird…

…

No matter. I pushed the door open, stepping inside. "Come on."

Fraize seemed to be nervous about this. I couldn't blame him for it, though. This place was dangerous, after all…

…

"Don't worry, I won't force you to come inside." I walked over towards the computer controls. Where was that button to show the window…?

"...Estoy entrando." Fraize walked in. "I don't want you to...get hurt…"

"Heh. Thanks." I pressed a button. "Was this…?"

...Yes. It was. The monitor pulled away, and...there it was. The universe...right before our eyes.

Stopping besides me, the tour guide looked out in wonder. "...It doesn't feel...real."

But there it was, before us. That void, that endless abyss. The Earth was...who knows how far away? In fact...I wasn't even sure where we were. On another planet? Some random space station? Maybe even...the cultist's own makeshift piece of...well...despicable living space.

Or...should I say...killing space?

…

Fraize pressed his right hand to the window, looking down. "Seeing this...it makes me realize how... _trapped_ we all are…"

I turned to him, placing a hand on his right shoulder. "Scary...isn't it? But...there's something kinda...mystifying about it."

He turned to me, pulling his hand away. "Hmm?"

"Just...no matter how many times you say it to me, no matter how many times I _look_ at it…" My eyes moved to see what was beyond the glass barrier. "I can't believe it. Maybe I just can't understand it. I don't know, and...I don't think I ever _will_ know either."

"Amigo…" Fraize looked down.

…

I turned back to him, forcing a smile. "Crazy, huh?"

He chuckled, feeling the back of his head. "Sí, es...comíco."

…

We continued to look out the window for quite some time perhaps feeling...like empty husks, two drifting spirits wavering between existences.

…

I turned back to him, feeling ready to give my answer. "Hey, Fraize."

He turned to me, blinking.

"...Yeah." I smiled, placing a hand over my heart. "I'd be happy to...be with you."

Yes...if we are going to die here...if nobody ever comes…

I want to die with someone to call my own. I want to die feeling that...love…

…

And I want him...to be the one to take my heart.

Is it because I love him?

I'm...not sure. Maybe it's because he loves me.

So...I will embrace it.

I don't care anymore about the future we will face. As long as it's with him...as long as we keep walking together...I can hope for a better tomorrow.

He slowly moved to stand right next to me, shoulder-to-shoulder. Closing my eyes, I took his hand and squeezed it.

* * *

After parting with Fraize, I found myself with a bit of free time. I figured I may as well see how the others are doing before we eat dinner together.

 _Make nice memories with everyone._

I walked by the kitchen to spot Anne busy at work, surrounding herself with piles upon piles of sweets. She was humming to herself cheerfully, whisking up a bowl of whipped cream to dress a layered cake - or so I assumed. To the side I could see Weise, Tikari, and Sayino all watching with their mouths agape.

I didn't realize just how grand Anne's craft was until I fully stepped inside. The walls were lined up by crepes, cakes, souffles, macarons, and so many other desserts I had never even seen before. In the very center of the kitchen stood a large tower of...cream puffs?

"W-What is all this?" I turned to Anne as she knelt over to some cakes on the floor, dressing them in the whipped cream.

"Ah...I've got to prepare many, many sweets!" Anne smiled, cheerfully. "For a surprise tonight."

"A...A surprise?" I blinked.

"I made a promise to keep it a secret." She winked, tasting the cream. "But do watch me, if you like!"

Huh...I wonder who could've asked her to prepare all these sweets? There's probably enough here to throw a...a whole party or something…

"And you're all watching her?" I turned to the three standing off to the side.

"Oui, oui!" The fashion designer was reaching over to a plate of crepes, hungrilly.

Tikari sighed and held him back. "Eh, well...not quite." She gently pulled him away. "I'm here to make sure Weise doesn't eat anything, as Anne asked me."

"A-Ah…" I scratched the back of my head, smiling. "And you, Sayino?"

The motorcyclist grinned. "Just here to provide any extra hands. She needed my help to pick her up so she could build up her...uhh…" She pointed to the tower of cream puffs. "Cro...er...crocker bush?"

The patisserie giggled, brushing her apron. "No, sweety. It's called a croquembouche."

…A...A what now?

I crossed my arms, examining the tower closely. "And...it's all made out of tiny cream puffs?"

"Yep!" Anne gleefully walked over to her crowning jewel. "It takes pastry chefs years to master this. I owe it to my mother that I was able to learn the techniques."

Huh...her mother. I remembered that her father was watching over her bakery back home, but...

"Your mère taught vous?" Weise's eyes sparkled.

Anne smiled, lightly. "Before she passed away, yes. Though...I feel like despite all she taught me, I never learned enough…"

Her mother passed away?

"Do you...want to talk about it?" I asked her, though willing to respect her boundaries should she decline.

"Ah...no, sweety. But thank you kindly." She placed a hand over her heart with a smile. "It happened three years ago, so...I've done my best to move on."

Anne…

We then looked over to see Weise reach over for a plate of crepes once again.

"Eh?!" Tikari felt at her beanie, surprised. "W-When did you-?"

Sayino quickly picked up the fashion designer and placed him onto her shoulders. "Up you go, buddy. You'll stay up here, alright?"

Weise sighed and puffed his cheeks, resting himself on top of Sayino's fluffy, lavender hair. "Comme il faut…"

Anne picked up a single plate of crepes and handed them to Sayino. "I suppose just one plate is okay. It will be a quick fix, after all. I can make crepes as fast as you can probably do a lap on a dirt track with your bike, right?"

The motorcyclist raised the plate up to Weise. "Hmm...yeah!" Sayino grinned with pride, knocking at her helmet. "I _can_ do a pretty fast lap."

Gleefully, Weise took a bite of the crepes on the dish. "Mmm...yummy!"

"Ah, perhaps you dearies would all like to try some of the sweets?" Anne felt at her apron. "The more feedback I have, the better. Like a box of chocolates, with so many tastes!"

I felt the back of my head. "Really?"

Anne picked up a small plate of macarons and held it out for us to pick a cookie for ourselves. "Come on and try some!"

The plate of cookies had a rainbow of color. I decided to pick up one that was light green. It tasted like...pistachio. I'm not the biggest fan of nuts, but...these were pretty good.

"This croquembouche is…" Anne felt at her cheek with a sigh. "Not my best. I don't have time to make another one, unfortunately. Perhaps...you will allow me to make another one tomorrow?"

I turned back to the tower of cream puffs. "I mean...are you sure?"

"Yes. The caramel isn't as light as it should be." Anne crossed her arms behind her back. "I'll make another one tomorrow. I do work best when I am alone, though. It allows me to put in all my focus on my craft."

"Ah...I see." I nodded with a smile.

"Do tell me, sweety. Did you like the macaron?" She looked back to me.

I nodded again, still smiling. "It was great, thank you."

Anne then turned to her Bottolet to text with someone, though I couldn't see who it was. She sighed and nodded, then feeling at her cheek. "Oh dear…"

"What's the matter, Anne?" Sayino asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I've messed up…" She giggled, smiling sheepishly. "I wasn't supposed to just make desserts, but look at what I've done. At least he's not upset with me."

"...He?" I blinked, raising an eyebrow.

She then covered her mouth. "Oops, my secret!"

...Huh. I wonder what she was planning, and...with who?

"Well, sweety. Don't worry about dinner, it'll be there at the surprise." She smiled, then turning back to her desserts in order to give her fullest attention to her craft.

I looked over to the other three, smiling and giving a quick wave goodbye. They smiled in return.

* * *

I decided it would be a good time to speak with Fifty-three again, as I waited for the surprise. I headed back to my room and had a seat on my bed, taking out my Bottolet.

"Fifty-three...are you there?" I asked, trying to initiate the conversation.

…

It took a moment before there was a reply. ' _Everything alright?'_

"I was just thinking about speaking with you, since apparently there will be a surprise later tonight." I smiled "Anyways...can you tell me about your progress?"

' _There's not much, admittedly. We've got a good estimate on your location, although...it would be risky to act on speculation.'_

"Is there anything I can do?" I bit my lip. I wanted... _more than anything_...to get us out of here. I don't want to lose anyone else...to go through that pain again…

…

' _Oh? Well, anything that you think might be helpful would be great.'_

…

"I'm sorry if this sounds...stupid." I gulped, worriedly. I didn't know just how useful this information would be.

' _No, go ahead.'_

I sighed and looked down. "When I look outside the window of the observatory, I can see Earth. It's just...so small…" I closed my eyes. "Smaller than the size of a marble, even…"

After about two minutes, there was a response. ' _Could you see anything else?'_

"Well...maybe?" I looked to the side in thought. "I...don't think I could see any other planet."

' _That means you may be...hmm...towards the Asteroid Belt, perhaps?'_

I cracked a smile, chuckling. "You're asking me? I don't know shit about this, Fifty-three."

' _Ah, I'm sorry.'_

…

' _If I may ask, how are you feeling?'_

Feeling my right arm, I let out a sigh. "Well...I think I'm losing my mind, honestly. I'm...I'm starting to see...ghosts or something…"

' _Ghosts?'_

"Heh...it's okay if you say I'm crazy." I felt at my head, shaking it lightly. "I...I think I'm going to snap at some point…"

It took some time before I got a reply. ' _Try to stay connected with your friends. As long as you stick together and have a strong trust, as childish as it sounds...you can all support each other through this. Regrettably, I do wish I had better words for you...the whole idea of friendship and harmony...it doesn't really hold up in a place like this, does it?'_

I placed a hand over my heart, taking in a deep breath. "I made a promise. I promised to them...that I would make nice memories with everyone. That's what I'm going to do."

' _I see…'_

There was suddenly a beeping sound on my Bottolet. When I opened the notification, I had a text from...Fraize.

' _Hola, amigo! Could you come over to the Shift Rooms at eleven tonight? Gracias!'_

...Huh. What's this about?

I looked at my Bottolet for the time, it being about eight-twenty right now.

Seems I have quite a bit of free time before then…

"Hey, Fifty-three. My friend Fraize is asking to meet me later tonight, so…" I smiled, sheepishly. "I'm gonna take some time off for myself, if that's okay."

' _I'll be here whenever you need to speak with me. Please, rest well.'_

I nodded. "Will do."

With that, I layed down on my bed to spend my time...taking a nap. But...not before crying a fucking waterfall, the emotions finally catching up to me.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of the night time bell. Eleven, huh? Guess I'll see what this is all about.

And so, I walked over to the Shift Rooms just as requested to see everyone else gathering there. Anne was standing by the door with a cheerful smile.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" She clapped her hands. "Fraize and I worked together to make you all a sweet surprise!"

She opened the door to reveal what looked like a grand bakery, with all her sweets presented across the entire room.

"Come on in, please!" She stepped inside with our amigo.

Exchanging confused glances, we all walked into the room.

"Fraize, why did you ask us all to meet here?" Riko showed the message she received from the tour guide.

"Ah...creo que there has been a lot of...tension in the air." Fraize scratched the back of his head. "So...pienso que necesitamos una fiesta!"

"A...a party?" Kyohi smiled. "Gosh, that sounds fun…"

"Now isn't the time for partying." Zraiko frowned, turning away. "I'm going back to coding-"

Mest grabbed Zraiko by the shoulder, forcing him to stay. "...You need a break."

"A break?" The hacker turned to Mest. "Are you kidding me? Am I the only one here with any working brain cells?!"

"Come on, Zraiko. Give it a chance." Sayino chuckled. "I think a party would do us all well."

I silently pulled out my Bottolet, looking to the invitation the tour guide sent.

…

 _Make nice memories with everyone…_

…

"Sure, Fraize." I smiled, putting my Bottolet away. "I think it will help raise the morale."

"Let's forget about killing games and nightmares and…" Kyohi pumped a fist. "Let's all just be friends, getting along and having a party!"

Heh...yeah. A party...getting along like friends do. No more shitty killing games…yeah. If we all get close to each other and have fun together...we'll never have another murder again.

"Come on, amigos." Fraize smiled, taking a bottle of rice wine from a nearby table. "Let's party like there's no tomorrow!"

"Where...where did you get that from?" Riko asked, holding her hands together with worry. "Is that…"

"I got them from el robot." Fraize grinned. "Si tu pretendes querer something for murder, Monobotto will give you what you ask for!"

"S-Should we really be-" Neizami gulped.

But Fraize was already pouring himself a glass. "Lo siento, pero...I really need a drink."

I walked to mi amigo, concerned. "A-Aren't you worried that it's been...I don't know...tampered with?"

Fraize blinked and stopped pouring. "Pero...esta a rule where Monobotto cannot hurt us, verdad?"

"I-I mean…" I looked to the side.

The tour guide smiled and handed me the glass, then pouring himself his own glass. "Have a drink with me, Kozaki."

I looked at the rice wine, clutching the glass. "I've...never had alcohol before…"

Fraize clinked our glasses together. "Cheers."

I didn't know what to do. Everything was telling me to tell him to stop. That this was a trap, and...we had to throw the rice wine away.

…

But…

I closed my eyes, had a gulp…

…

Another gulp…

…

I drank it down with him.

"So...how was it?" He asked, smiling.

I licked my lips, trying to process what happened. "...It was...good…"

"Ah, bueno!" Fraize raised the bottle. "Drinks, anyone?"

Mei walked over, glaring critically at the bottle, then looking to me. "Sientes like you're dying, Daisuke?"

I shook my head slowly. "Uh...no?"

She grinned, taking the bottle for herself. "Valé! He necesitado a fucking drink for ages!"

"H-Huh?" I blinked.

Zraiko smirked, walking over. "Pass me the bottle when you're done, then."

"Heh, this one's solamente para mi." Mei took a sip straight from the bottle.

"Esta plenty more, amigo!" Fraize motioned to several other bottles. "Vamos!"

...

I don't know why, but...I just...kept drinking…

I felt...strange, yet…

…

The only people who turned down a drink were Riko and Mest. Everyone else…had some fun.

"Kozaki, are you okay?" Riko asked, supporting my weight. "Y-You look like you're about to fall over…"

"A...Ah…" I looked over to Riko. "Heh...I'm fine…"

"You don't look fine." She frowned, walking me off to the side. "Sit down, I'll get you some water."

I looked around the whole 'party' we had going on.

Weise was laying on the floor, looking towards the ceiling. "I see...so many butterflies...so joli…"

"Haha...what butterflies?!" Neizami looked upwards as well. "Y-You're silly, Weise... there's no butterflies anywhere…!"

"Ah...but I see them...regarder…" He raised his right arm into the air, reaching for butterflies. "Oui...they're so beautiful…"

Tikari looked upwards, tearing up. "I...I can't see any butterflies at all...I wish I could see their beauty like you, Weise…"

Anne felt at her cheek, looked upwards as well. "Ah...these butterflies are so...so wonderful…"

Weise waved his arm around. "I can't reach them...I can't...aidez moi, s'il vous plaît

…"

"You...you're all estúpido!" Mei walked by, frowning. "There isn't a single mariposa around!"

"I see them...I see them...they're so joli…" Weise sat up, grabbing the vigilante by the arm. "Come see them, Mei…"

"Get off me, Vayrne!" Mei tried to push him away.

Neizami giggled, sitting into the floor. "You're...you're so silly, guys! Butterflies? There are...b-butterflies here?"

Fraize sat besides me, smiling. "Amigo, how is it going?"

"Ammh...I…" I looked over to him, slowly. "Okay...I'm okay…"

"Haha…" Fraize placed a hand on my head, rustling my hair. "You're...so cute when you're drunk, Kozaki…"

"I...I am…?" I blushed, not really comprehending my senses.

Fraize leaned back, smiling. "Haha...I...I love you, Kozaki…"

I closed my eyes, smiling. "I don't get it...but...thank you...hehe…"

"Kozaki. Hey. Hello?" A person tapped on my right shoulder.

I looked up. "Ah...hi Riko...hiii...hehe…"

The clarinetist sighed and handed me a bottle of water. "Hey, no more drinking rice wine. I'll try to get you something to eat."

"Aaah...amiga." Fraize smiled, looking up to Riko. "Did...anyone tell you...you have the eyes of an angel?"

Riko sighed and shook her head. "Thanks, Fraize. I'll try to be everyone's angel right now…"

We looked over to see Zraiko angrily pointing to Mei. "Hey, stop picking on Weise. We all know he's too naive for his own good, no need to mock him."

"Mock him?" Mei frowned. "Niki-runt...listen here…!"

"Don't...don't you even think about giving me one of your petty nicknames!" Zraiko took off his glasses. "I'm not...an idiot like Kozaki!"

"Haaah...he's right...I'm such an idiot…" I felt at my head, chuckling.

"No, you're not." Riko frowned, looking back at me.

Zraiko grabbed Weise's right hand, pulling him away from Mei. "Stay away from that fire cracker, Weise."

Weise looked back to Mei. "Wha...crackers…? Ah...I'm so affamé…"

"Let go of Vayrne, ahora." Mei grabbed Weise's left hand, tugging him back.

"You let go, you chilly pepper!" Zraiko pulled Weise back.

Weise allowed for them both to tug him as they pleased. "Haaah...I'm so...affame...I'm famelique…"

Mest quickly rushed over to remove Weise from the two spatters. "I'll get you some food, Weise."

"Ouiiii...thank you very much…" Weise looked up. "Wha...it's an elf! An elf is going to manger me...Je suis so lucky…"

"...An elf?" Mest tilted his head in confusion.

"Please manger moi...bring me lots of crepes…!" Weise felt at his stomach. "Je haven't had any crepes since...five minutes ago!"

"I'm sure you'll be fine eating something else…" Mest turned around. "You've been eating crepes this whole party, and that's not healthy."

"Hueh…? Non, nooooon...this is a travesty…! I must have some more crepes…!" Weise tugged on Mest's arm. "Gimme…gimme some strawberry crepes!"

"I'm not your waiter, and you're not a child." Mest shook his head. "You will eat what I give you, and they won't be crepes."

"Wha...you're so mechant!" Weise pouted with his cheeks puffed up.

"Stop bullying Weise, Mest!" Anne tearfully stumbled over. "He needs his crepes...let me get them..."

"You're drunk, Anne. You can't." Mest shook his head, looking back over to our direction. "Hey, Riko...a little help please?"

Riko sighed, nodding. "Coming." She looked back to me. "Stay there, Kozaki. Drink your water."

"Ah...okay…" I nodded, watching her leave. I unscrewed the cap and had a sip, then lowering the bottle. I wondered where Sayino and Kyohi disappeared to, but then noticed the pair chilling out in the corner. It seems Sayino was telling the young hockey player more about her adventures in Manchester…

"Amigo, are you alright?" Fraize looked to me, smiling.

"Hehe...I'm peachy…" I turned to him.

The tour guide scooched closer to me, tapping on his shoulder. "Rest your cabeza here, amigo."

I leaned against him, closing my eyes. It felt...nice...I've never done this with someone before. I...liked it. The feeling of someone being able to support my weight...it made me feel...comfort.

…

"Alright, I've brought sandwiches." I heard Mest's voice announce. "Riko, help me with this."

A tap on my shoulder, I opened my eyes.

"Here, Kozaki." Riko knelt down, handing me a sandwich. "It's cheese, tomatoes, and ham. You can't be eating just sweets either, you know."

"Ah...uh…" I sat upright, taking it with a light smile. "Thank you."

Fraize also received a sandwich from Riko. "Not hungry, amiga?"

The clarinetist smiled, shaking her head. "I don't mind. Someone needs to help Mest take care of you all."

We turned to see there being a rise in volume from the others.

"Non, non! What is this?!" Weise cried out in dismay. "Elf-man, this is not a crepe!"

"I never agreed to getting you crepes." Mest pushed the sandwich into Weise's hands. "Now eat."

Weise took a bite, reluctantly.

"Isn't it good, Weise?" Sayino grinned, quickly eating hers up. She patted her stomach with a nod. "Thanks, Mest."

Seems that Sayino was pretty sober. Kyohi as well. Maybe...we all should've been more responsible like them…

"It's not impressive at all!" Anne shook her head, saddened. "There's no mayo, no lettuce...not even pickles…"

Mest sighed, shaking his head. "Just...eat it."

"It's terne!" Weise sat on the floor, pouting. "Non, I refuse to eat this! Are you trying to intoxiquer moi?!"

Mest pointed to Weise, critically. "Eat the sandwich, Weise."

"Non, _you_ eat it!" Weise threw the sandwich right into Mest's face.

"Oh goodness!" Riko hurried over. "Weise, calm down! Oh Mest, let me help you…"

Fraize and I watched the commotion from afar.

"Hehe...funny situation, huh?" Fraize turned to me. "Oh, amigo...you have crumbs on your cheek."

"Ah...I do?" I felt at my cheek. "Where?"

Fraize leaned in, brushing them off for me. "There you are."

"Thank you." I smiled.

Fraize looked at me in the eyes for a while. "...You're so cute, Kozaki…did I already say that? Haha…"

"I…" I blushed. "I...thank you…You're cute, too..."

"Haha, really?" He chuckled. "Gracias, amigo."

I slowly leaned against Fraize again, closing my eyes.

…

I...I felt myself slip away…

…

 _Make nice memories with everyone._

* * *

~Chapter Three, Daily Life Two, End~


	16. Ball of the Blood Moon Daily Life 3

I woke up to the most disgusting feeling I'd ever have experienced in my life. I felt dizzy, outrageously disoriented. When I came to some form of my senses, I recognized that I was in my bed. How did…?

...Last night...what happened…?

I remember...drinking with Fraize and the others. I...I must've had too much…

…

I was drunk...so out of it...the whole world felt like a comedy skit. And yet, in the midst of all that chaos…

…

Fraize…

…

I slowly stood up, seeing that I was still wearing my regular clothes.

...I felt like shit...absolutely disgusting…

I needed to take a shower, a hot one.

So I did, making sure to clean myself from head to toe.

There was nobody in the bathroom, to my luck. Nobody to talk about last night. I thought it was luck, anyways. I'm a little...scared to talk about it, honestly. How much did I drink? Did I...do something while I was drunk? I...I can't even remember...

In any case…

...

...It was fun...so much fun…

Fun...what? What am I saying?

It...It was…

...I don't know what it was…

…

Last night...was…

...It's all a blur. I can't remember what happened at all…was it really fun at all?

…

I wish I had an answer.

I walked into the dining room to see everyone slowly gathering for breakfast. Only Riko, Kyohi, Sayino, and Mest seemed to be...alive.

"Good morning, everyone." The motorcyclist grinned. "Lively party last night, don't you think? It sure was banger!"

"It was...certainly a night to remember." Riko giggled, nervously. "Mest and I had to help everyone get back to their beds."

"Really? I don't remember anything at all…" Anne felt at her head. "I'm sorry, sweety...I sure hope I didn't do anything embarrassing like busting a chocolate molten lava cake…" She shuddered. "Oh, it's so awful…"

"Perhaps...we should leave last night behind us." Mest sighed, leaning back in his seat.

It looked as though he didn't have a wink of sleep, even though I knew he didn't have anything to drink…I wanted to make sure he was alright. "Is...something wrong, Mest?"

The tattoo artist shook his head. "I never knew how much of a mess a sandwich could make of my mask. It took way too long to clean it…"

A...A sandwich got in his mask? When did…

You know...I guess it's not worth questioning what happened. I...I just hope _I_ didn't make myself look like a fool…

Besides that, breakfast went rather smoothly. It looks like the party really helped to improve the atmosphere, as I could see Neizami starting to be more social to the others again. I was happy for her, really. I want all of us to get along...I want us all to make nice memories together.

Otherwise…

…

No. I can't think about that. There's no way it can keep happening again and again.

…

We...can't let it keep happening…

…

We went to the garden, as every other morning. The ambiance was...peaceful. We were saddened by the memory of the cruel fates our friends met, but...we were hopeful.

Seeing them every morning...it makes me feel more confident in my desire to survive in their memory. I have to...no... _we all_ have to get out of here. I'll do everything I can…

…

If I give up on living...what would that mean for those who have died? That's why...that's why I have to do this. I'm doing this for them.

I couldn't save them...but I can still save the others.

That was all that was on my mind as we walked back towards the dorms. I have to find some way, somehow…

How can I end this killing game? How can I stop all the death and misery? The constant struggle to not succumb to Monobotto's sick, twisted fun?

…

No more. I've locked it in my mind. No more, no more, no more…

Please...if anyone can hear me...just stop this. This game isn't fun at all...I want to go home...I want to see my family again…

…

Maybe we need to all sit down together and come up with a plan to-

"How-nice-of-you-fools-to-do-most-of-the-hard-work-for-me." Monobotto rolled into the area. "Please. All-of-you-take-a-seat."

…

Fuck.

 _Fuck._

 _ **Fuck.**_

"Are-you-sitting-yet?" Monobotot beeped, simply. "I-don't-see-any-asses-in-the-seats. Hurry-up-already-fools. You're-not-whiny-toddlers-in-a-daycare-center." It then paused. "Actually. That-sounds-like-a-good-idea-to-add-to-my-notebook-of-fanfictions."

We all uneasily took a seat at the grand staircase. Tikari nervously gulped, twiddling her fingertips. "Eh...did I hear that right?"

"T-That's gotta be a joke...I-I think…" Sayino chuckled, awkwardly. "R-Right, Monobotto? You're not...actually writing fanfiction about us, right…? T-That would be rubbish, after all…writing fanfiction about real people…"

Monobotto tilted its head in confusion. "What-? My-fanfiction-about-you-fools-is-an-anthological-masterpiece-! So-many-wonderful-ships-!"

...I swear, if I ever find that fanfiction, I'll make immediate use of my talent and burn it into ashes.

"In-any-case." The bucket of bolts spun around once. "I-have-a-wonderful-surprise-for-you-all-!"

Kyohi raised his hand. "Is it an ice cream party?"

A short silence. "What-?"

The hockey player smiled. "When I hear about a wonderful surprise, my mind goes to ice cream. I really love ice cream."

Monobotto was unamused. "No-you-fool. There-is-no-ice-cream-involved-in-this-surprise."

"Darn…" Kyohi felt at his right shoulder. "Well...how about…"

"Comment vers a chat?!" Weise asked, excitedly. "Cats are the meilleur, oui!"

"Hmm...I'm more of a dog person myself…" Kyohi knocked on his helmet.

"You-fools-! Silence-!" Monobotto fumed. "Are-you-dense-? So-truly-dense-?"

Kyohi giggled, shaking his head. "No. I was just trying Kozaki's tactic of bothering you. Did it work?"

M-My...my tactic?

I…

I mean...I just do whatever I can to fuck around and piss off that shit-headed robot. I didn't think anyone would consider that an actual strategy!

"No-you-fool. Your-silly-game-did-not-do-anything-good-for-you-in-the-slightest." Monobotto rolled over closer. "For-you-see. It-is-that-time-again-!"

That...that time again?

Monobotto was eager to get right into the news. "Your-new-motive-is-ready-!"

* * *

...Motive?

No, not now. We can't accept this. No. We can't let another murder happen. Not this time.

This is where...I have to put my foot down solid.

I stood up from the staircase and turned around, walking upstairs.

"Kozaki-Daisuke. What-are-you-doing-?" The bot questioned me.

I didn't reply, only continuing the climb up towards my room.

"Fool. Come-back-here-at-once." Monobotto sprouted an arm, pointing to me. "Don't-make-me-have-to-drag-you-back-myself."

I was almost at the top of the stairs when I was stopped by Riko, who stood up to take my hand.

"Kozaki, please…" She looked at me, worriedly. "Y-You might get punished for not listening…"

"...Does it matter?" I stopped, turning to her. "After all of this?"

Riko slowly let go of my hand, then looking away. "Yes, it does. I don't want you to get hurt. So...please…"

I sighed, looking down. There was no point to any of this at all. If we accept these motives, then...the cycle will only ever repeat itself…

…

But...I want to escape. If listening to that bucket of bolts is the only way…

…

Damn it! Damn all of this! I want to live, for sure. But...listening to that robot's every command?! Listening to these motives...letting people continue to die?!

…

It's…

It's not use...there's...no point in fighting it…

…

I should...just accept...this cruel cycle…

...Fuck me...

Slowly, I sat besides the clarinetist, clearly on edge.

"Now-then. A-most-excellent-motive-for-you-fools-!" Monobotto spun around in circles, seemingly it was filled with excitement. It looked as though, with enough momentum, it would fling itself into space.

…

Please, Monobotto. If I can ask anything of you, fling yourself into the sun...

"Uhh...is this...the motive?" Kyohi blinked.

"No-you-fool." Monobotto stopped spinning. "The-motive-is-simple. Until-a-murder-happens…" It focused on all of us with its lifeless, glassy eyes. "One student at random will lose any memory about themselves at any given time." Monobotto hopped up and down with excitement. "How-does-that-sound-?"

"That sounds…" Tikari felt at her beanie. "Quite impossible, eh? How...how can you even manage that?"

"Its threats are empty." Zraiko shook his head, frowning. "Don't pay it any mind."

"Do-you-doubt-me-?" Monobotto stared at us blankly.

Anne felt at her apron, looking down. "Well...it sounds quite...unrealistic. As unrealistic as cooking your first ever souffle perfectly…"

"But-it-still-is-possible." The bucket of bolts rolled around. "So-as-long-as-the-probability-is-not-zero."

"I hate to say this, but…" Mest pressed his index finger to his temple in thought. "We've all been brought out to space. We've seen murders and outrageous executions...it's not something I would discredit given our...unique circumstances…"

…

Damn it. Mest is right…

Even if we don't know how it does it, it's no use trying to deny Monobotto's ability…

"Would-an-example-serve-you-well?" Monobotto pointed towards a monitor lowering from the ceiling.

"Where did that monitor come from?" Sayino looked upwards towards the ceiling. "Was that always there, hiding in the ceiling?"

"Of-course-you-fool." Monobotto impatiently beeped. "I-have-complete-control-over-the-Killing-Odyssey."

It says that, sure. But honestly...I have doubt in those words. Something is telling me...there's more to this place than meets the eye.

This place...is it more than just a setting for a 'Feature TV program' killing game?

…

The monitor powered up, revealing a sort of...slot machine. There were three panels.

A student, the significance of the memory, and the memory itself…

Wh...what the hell is this?

How...how significant can these memories get?!

"All-I-need-to-do-is-give-this-a-flip-!" Monobotto reached up to pull a lever.

We watched as the slots began to spin around. And...and then...the results clicked in one at a time.

 **Kozaki Daisuke.**

 **Significant memory.**

 **Identity.**

The moment my eyes were met with the results of the slot machine...I felt a sudden, intensive dizziness.

"...Hah. This slot machine is all for show." Zraiko stood up, arms crossed. "You expect us to believe you can manipulate memories even to _that_ extreme?! Ridiculous."

I slowly covered my face with my hands, feeling...empty. What...what is this…?

"We're going, now." Zraiko began to walk upstairs, urging everyone to stand up. Though...I didn't. He stopped to look at me, unenthused. "Kozaki, what are you doing?"

…

What…?

I pulled my hands away, making eye contact with the hacker.

"Get up. We're leaving." He frowned. "The robot's not worth our time."

I…

"Kozaki...w-what's wrong?" Neizami asked, gulping. "You're so...pale…"

…I...I'm...

Riko took my right hand, getting my attention. "Say something, Kozaki...are you okay?"

…

Ko...Kozaki…?

…

"Don't tell me…" Sayino walked over, gulping. "That...that robot isn't lying at all?"

"Certainly-not. I-am-a-bot-of-my-word-you-fools." Monobotto pointed to us. "Let-us-see-how-long-you-all-last."

…

"Daisuke, get up." Mei pointed to me. "You can't seriously expect que creeré-"

"Mei, wait." Mest knelt down, looking me in the eyes. "Kozaki, did you...forget?"

"Oh please." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "You seriously can't be telling me you believe that nut-headed robot-"

"K...Kozaki?" I blinked. "Who...who is that?"

A silence. Everyone's faces carried a large array of different emotions. Shock, disbelief...fear…

"Hey, h-hey...that's not funny, Kozaki." Sayino nervously laughed. "Th...That's your name, y-you know?"

My...name?

"Kozaki. Kozaki Daisuke…" Kyohi felt at his shoulder, worriedly.

I felt at my head. "Kozaki...Daisuke…?"

No...no memories were coming out…

"From Pennsylvania." Riko gulped. "A-America. You have a pet dog named Shiro, a-and…you have two loving parents…"

"You did your best en escuela." Fraize felt at his neck. "Estas un estudiante muy bien, v-verdad?"

…

I…

…

"I'm sorry…" I looked down, shaking my head. "I...I don't know what you're talking about at all…"

…

From silence...panic was born.

"A-Am I going to end up like that?!" Neizami felt at her head. "F-Forgetting about my family, m-my friends…?!"

" E-Even...my own premon?" Weise teared up.

I…

Have I…

Forgotten...everything about myself…?

All I can remember...my earliest memory…

Was waking up here, in the killing game.

...But...I can't remember where I was...before I was trapped in this hellish place…

...

Just...just like that…?

Ko...Kozaki Dai...Daisuke…

…

Who...am I?

"Silence-you-fools-!" Monobotto spun around. "There-is-another-piece-of-this-motive."

We turned to look at the bucket of bolts. It pulled out a briefcase and opened it, showing twelve syringes...each one had one of our names…

"This-is-a-special-drug-that-can-be-taken-to-bypass-your-memory-loss. You-only-have-one-shot-so-make-it-count!" Monobotto closed the case. "Your-Bottolets-will-display-the-randomizer. If-you-are-selected…" It raised the case. "You-must-notify-me-within-thirty-seconds-before-your-memory-to-lose-will-be-randomized-! Clear-?"

This is...this is fucked up…

"Question." Zraiko frowned, crossing his arms. "If you don't mind me asking, are you purposefully leaving out information? This injection seems...too harmless. It's not your style."

Monobotto lowered the case, tilting its head. "Oh-?"

"What are you hiding about these injections?" The hacker pressed.

The bucket of bolts simply spun around a few times. "Only-that-this-drug-will-raise-your-hormones-and-increase-your-adrenaline. It-will-also-put-you-into-euphoria-and-make-you-likely-to-kill-someone. That's-all."

…

What...what even is this?!

"If-you-don't-mind…" Monobotto turned to leave.

"Please, wait!" Riko called out, holding her hands together. "What about Kozaki? T-This is unfair..."

"Yeah, you didn't even give him a chance to choose!" Kyohi frowned, lightly. "That's not very cool, Monobutto."

"Do something, won't you?" Neizami felt at her scarf. "T-This isn't okay at all…"

"Let me guess, then." Zraiko shook his head. "You won't actually do anything at all, or am I wrong?"

"...No. Zraiko-Nikiroi. You-are-correct." Monobotto rolled away. "I-will-not-do-anything-at-all. A-new-puzzle-has-been-set. The-prizes-will-be-most-interesting. Perhaps-you-will-be-filled-with-hope-to-escape-? There-are-no-current-plans-for-the-Mono-shift-Room-as-of-now. In-any-case. Please-enjoy-yourselves-you-fools."

With that, it was gone. Leaving the group in shambles, and...leaving me with a crisis.

...Kozaki...Daisuke. Kozaki Daisuke. _Kozaki Daisuke._ _ **Kozaki Daisuke.**_

…

It's no use...I can't remember anything at all. What the hell is this?

Just then, my Bottolet beeped along with everyone else's. The clue to the puzzle, it seems…

It's a puzzle about...the zodiac symbols?

Huh…

…

Damn it, it's not important right now! We're all going to lose our memories if we don't kill someone...that's...that's awful…

…

What more...do I have to lose?

…

I can still remember everything since I came here. I know who everyone is and I know what we've all done. I can't afford to lose these memories as well…

…

I need to...make nice memories with everyone…

…

Neizami stood up, trying to get our attention. "Hey, everyone! Come on. W-We can make it through, right?"

She received a few skeptical glances. Mostly because...she still wasn't trusted fully.

"...You all do realize what happens if nobody dies, right?" Zraiko frowned. "We're going to become walking husks with no memories at all. I'm not endorsing murder, but…" He shook his head. "Keep in mind what future we're facing."

A blank past...walking to no future at all…

…

No, I don't want anyone to die. I'm tired of going through this pain.

…

I'd rather...forget everything…

…

"...Let's...press forward, then." Tikari smiled. "I'd...rather give everything I have away then...to have someone's life taken instead, eh?"

…

Kyohi looked down, insecurely. "But...if we lose our memories at random...what if someone were to forget...the rules? And...and if they break them…"

A short, I secure silence.

"Then...I guess we'll deal with the problem once it arrives." Sayino nodded. "I hate to say it, but this motive is bullocks."

Riko nodded, solemnly. "...Well then...in that case…" She then turned to me, stretching out a hand. "Wanna partner up, Kozaki?"

…

I…

Is Kozaki supposed to be my name, then? I...I think so.

"Sure, Riko." I forced a smile, slowly standing up.

She seemed to be surprised. "You...remember me?"

I nodded, looking down. "I can't remember anything from before being trapped here, but...I remember everything clear as day since." I felt at my head. "It's...weird, really damn weird…"

…

Riko took my hands, walking me with her away from the dorms. "Come on, Kozaki. I'll do everything I can to help you."

"I…" I gulped, not believing that there was anything that _could_ help me. "O-Okay…"

* * *

I didn't really know what to say at all. Riko asked me over and over again questions about myself. I just...I just didn't have an answer. It was blank...clean…

"What about...your favorite food?" She led me into the kitchen. "Come on, then. Is there a food you like the most? Or even the least?"

I sat down in a chair, feeling at my head. "...I...I can't remember. I'm sorry, Riko…"

Riko took a seat besides me, folding her hands onto the table. "Hmm...you remember everything since waking up, right?"

"Y-Yeah…?" I scratched the back of my head.

She leaned in, whispering lightly. "So you...remember your talent, right?"

"I...yeah, I do…" I bit my lip, looking away. "...I...I don't remember why I'm…"

She leaned back closing her eyes reflectively. "You don't remember why you're…an arsonist?"

I shook my head, slowly. "It...it probably means I should be locked in jail, right…? Have I...have I ever...hurt anyone?"

She stood up from her seat, walking over to me. "No, you haven't ever done that. I know because you said so in Mest's shift room."

"W-What if it was a lie?" I turned to her. "I...I can't even remember…"

She patted me on the head, stroking my hair gently. It...it comforted me…

"I know it's not a lie because...when I look you in the eyes, you don't look away." She smiled. "If our eyes line up when we speak...I know that means we're telling the truth."

Hearing her say that made me smile a little. I felt...safe. I felt like...I had the confidence to believe I held no demons inside.

...But...even so, I…

Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist…?

What...what kind of person am I? I want to believe with all my heart that I am a good person, but...with a talent like this…

…

With a talent like this...I...must've hurt people at one point or another...

…

I looked to my hands to see them shaking a little. Am I...am I a monster?

Arson...is a crime where someone intentionally starts a fire and damages someone else's property. Arsonists can...kill people…

Have I ever...killed someone?

...No, that's impossible. Even if I can't remember the act...I should at least...feel something…

Like how I felt comfort when Riko stroked my hair...I should...feel something like pain…

Riko and I looked over to see Anne enter the room with Kyohi.

"Dear, are you sure?" Anne looked to Kyohi, worriedly. "We will be having lunch soon, after all…"

"Please, Anne...I'm starving…" Kyohi looked down, feeling at his stomach.

"Everything alright?" Riko asked, looking to the pair.

Anne sighed, brushing her apron. "The memory roulette…"

Oh shit...my notifications are off. How...how many others have been hit?

I quickly looked to my Bottolet to see what happened.

 **Kyohi Hayai.**

 **Insignificant memory.**

...Phew. A-Atleast he didn't forget something that bad…

Why…why doesn't it say what the memory was? Monobotto's showed mine…

C...Could it be because...if a murder happens…?!

No...no, I shouldn't think like this. A murder isn't going to happen. Absolutely not.

…

I…

I should keep looking.

 **Neizami Otomaeda.**

 **Insignificant memory.**

This...this doesn't look so bad. Another insignificant memory. Maybe she forgot about...using the bathroom or something.

…

"Kyohi and I were together when he got selected." Anne nodded, thoughtfully. "After he denied wanting to take the syringe, he blanked out and...told me he was terribly hungry."

Kyohi nodded. "I...I must've skipped breakfast without even realizing it…"

N...No...he didn't. I know for a fact he was there.

So then…

...He must've forgotten about eating breakfast.

That's not too bad. He can just grab a sandwich and the problem will be fixed.

…

I wish I could eat something to make my problems be solved…

Hey...you know...why didn't Riko say anything?  
I looked over to Riko to see she was looking into her own Bottolet. "Did you...know about these?"

Riko shook her head. "To tell you the truth...I disabled my notifications." She sighed, swiping her Bottolet. "Monobotto kept sending me bits of its...fanfiction…" She looked disturbed. "There is some quite...lewd content written about us…"

I was...absolutely disgusted. "You've gotta be fucking kidding, r-right?"

"I wish I was…" Riko closed her eyes, gulping. "The things it said about me were so...so embarrassing! I-I don't even have a tattoo of a butterfly down there!"

A short silence.

Riko blushed, looking as though she was ready to throw the tablet across the kitchen. I had to catch her hand before she did anything she would regret. "R-Riko, wait! If you break your tablet, y-you'll be punished!"

She sighed, relaxing her body. "I...I apologize for the overreaction…"

"No, no! You have every right to be fucking pissed!" I let go of her hand, then clenching my fist. "What the hell does that robot think we are?! Toys?!"

"Actually-no. You-are-not-simply-toys. You-are-simply-a-lot-of-fools." Monobotto rolled into the kitchen, amused. It must've overheard us. "You-also-seemed-to-be-quite-bored. I-noticed-that-a-majority-of-you-spend-your-day-just-wandering-around-or-mingling. Some-such-as-Mei-Jiana-are-in-their-rooms-often. I-figured-what-could-be-better-to-do-in-your-room-alone-than-to-jerk-off-to-fanfiction-about-yourselves-?"

…

"Y...You sick bastard!" I pointed at Monobotto, my blood boiling. I felt as though my hair would catch fire. Heh...maybe that's why I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist. "What in your mind tells you it's _OKAY_ to do something like this?!"

Monobotto tilted its head in confusion. "Have-you-not-seen-the-fanfiction-for-yourself-?"

"Wh…?!" I swear I could feel a vein pop inside me.

With that, the bucket of bolts rolled away.

...Fucking damn it!

Why...why…?!

…

Calm down...that piece of shit isn't important now...it's just making a mockery of us all…

…

A beeping sound?

No, two beeping sounds…

Anne and Kyohi looked to their Bottolets. It seems they've kept their notifications on.

"Gosh…" Kyohi turned to me. "Hey, do you know what 'Blocked' means in the roulette?"

Blocked?

I looked to my Bottolet to see what the hockey player was talking about.

 **Zraiko Nikiroi.**

 **Blocked.**

It...it can only mean one thing…

He...he used the drug…

…

Shit...shit...shit!

I found myself flying out from the kitchen in pursuit of the hacker. He...he better not kill someone! I...I can't let another death happen!

His shift room was the most logical place for me to check. Sure enough, when I opened the door, he was inside.

Just...on the ground...unconscious.

Next to him stood...Mest?

What...what happened here?

"Kozaki, you're here." Mest turned to me, arms crossed. "Perhaps...you saw the Bottolet notification?"

"I...yeah…" I looked to Zraiko. "Is...is he okay?"

Mest nodded. "He asked me to knock him out to prevent those...nasty side effects of the drug. It should be out of his system by the time he wakes up."

Mest…Mest knocked him out? How did he do that? Is...Is this tattoo artist secretly a ninja or something?! Z-Zraiko doesn't look harmed at all, and I know Mest would keep his qualms about this killing game so there would be no drugs involved, but...

Damn...I…

I don't even know how to feel about this. I'm...I'm glad to see Zraiko be so cautious about this, but…

…

He's trying...so damn hard to keep everything together. He's probably the only one out of all of us to be proactive in trying to escape...locking himself in his shift room all day to work…

And...to how much progress? Has he even gotten a hint of payoff?

…

I can't help but feel...ashamed of myself for not doing more…

…

"Hey...what are you doing here anyway, Mest?" I turned to the tattoo artist.

Mest felt at his left wrist. "I was keeping him company...he might lose his sanity if he's locked here all alone."

...I wonder if...Mest and Zraiko have grown close from the time they spend together? When they were paired up by chance from the previous motive...did they become...friends?

Heh...honestly, I never saw that coming. Their personalities are really on opposite ends. But...good for them. I'm glad to see they have this level of trust with each other.

…

"Hey, Mest?" I walked over with caution. "Can I talk to you about-?"

A beeping sound.

"Ah...one second." Mest took out his Bottolet. "...Seems Anne was selected."

Anne?

I took out my Bottolet to see what happened.

 **Anne Kimidori.**

 **Significant Memory.**

...Anne…

I would run back to the kitchen if I could, but...I can't just leave Mest here alone with Zraiko…

I'm sure that Kyohi and Riko will be able to help her…

Anne is a sweetheart. I'm sure she'll bounce back right away to work on preparing that...that...crocher bush thingy...tower of cream puffs. She did say she wanted to make a new one today, so...yeah. I hope it goes well!

Please...let her be ok…

…

"So then…" Mest sat on one of the vacant bean bag chairs. "What did you wish to speak with me about?"

I took a seat on the floor, crossing my legs. "Well...I just...wanted to ask about you and Zraiko."

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean…" I scratched the back of my head. "You two seem...like you've gotten to be good friends."

Mest nodded, thoughtfully. "If that is how you see it…"

I glanced to the side. "So...tell me about it. Your friendship."

Mest felt at his left wrist. "Neither of us ever really connected to other people before...mostly due to our talents. We've learned quite a lot about each other...sharing a sort of living style back home."

"That makes sense. You two are both from Japan, right?" I asked.

The tattoo artist looked over to the unconscious hacker. "We both live quite...isolated lives. Zraiko works for the Japanese government. In order to pursue those who do illegal activity, he cannot afford to get close to anyone." Mest looked back to me. "Even his own family. He lives under another alias to ensure no connections can be made to him."

…Damn…

"And...what about you, Mest?" I blinked. "Why would a tattoo artist live in an isolated life?"

He paused for a moment, as though he was looking to explain it in a way I could understand. "...I have no choice."

"Huh?" I grew worried by his response.

He stood up, shaking his head. "There was a time when I could afford to be close to many others. That time...has long past."

"Wh...what does that mean?" I stood up as well, trying to look him in the eyes. "Did...something happen to cause you to live in such a way?"

"To tell you the truth…" Mest looked away. "...I am not comfortable talking about this…"

"Does it have something to do with...the friend you had from a long time ago?" I asked, still trying to find _something_ about Mest he could tell me.

But before he could respond...there was a beeping sound. He looked to his Bottolet, seemingly growing uncomfortable.

"Mest…?" I gulped, feeling my right arm.

"...It's my time." Mest nodded, simply. "Kozaki, please leave this room."

I didn't want to make the tattoo artist any more uncomfortable. I'm...only trying to keep us all together. I don't...I don't want anyone else to die…

…

After I exited the room, I looked down to my Bottolet to see what his fate would be.

 **Mest ######.**

 **Significant Memory.**

…

His last name...is censored.

Maybe...this is evidence to show why he lives in isolation. He, too...is concealing his identity.

…

And now...now what?

What memory...has been scattered to the wind?

…

Hmm?

A beep...a text message. The only notifications I have are for messages from the others, so...who is…?

Anne. A text from Anne.

' _Spread the word! We're having a party tonight!'_

...Huh?

I messaged her back to express my confusion. ' _A party? Didn't we have one last night?'_

' _Did we? I...seem to have forgotten. Sorry for bothering you, sweety…'_

Anne...forgot about the party?

' _No, no. It's okay Anne. I'm sure having another party will be great.'_

A short while before a response.

' _Great! Let's have it at the night bell!'_

…

Night bell, just like yesterday's party. I wonder if-

Another beep.

This one is from...Weise?

' _Mon amie, please come see me at the student Shift-rooms soon! Je vous remercie!'_

...What's going on here?

* * *

A party...tonight...forgetting about a whole party would be pretty significant, right? I mean...not as significant as losing your whole identity, but...something not as mundane as forgetting to flush the toilet...

I looked towards the other Shift-room, as I was already in the area. I checked my messages in my Bottolet to see if I was at the right place. Yep. The student Shift-rooms, just as he said. He must already be inside. Did he...want to show me his room?

I knocked on the door lightly, waiting for a response. It didn't take too long before Weise opened the door, wearing a pair of white-framed glasses. He smiled, taking my hand and pulling me inside. "Mon amie, I'm so glad tu es venu!"

The room was incredibly organized and spacious with large, simulative windows to let in a lot of light. There were many rolls of fabrics, bins of jewels and...many other materials that I couldn't recognize. There was also a lot of equipment, and they all looked state of the art. Anything to help him excel in his talent, right?

"I...uh...yeah." I blinked, looking to Weise. "Since when did...you wear glasses?"

"Only while I'm working." He walked over to the center of the room where a mannequin was holding up a pastel-colored, ruffled orange dress that stopped at about the knees. The edges of the ruffles had faint sequins on them.

"Wow, Weise...it's lovely." I complimented the young fashion designer. "What's it for?"

Weise giggled, motioning to the side of the room. "You haven't noticed? Je suis making everyone clothes for the escouade!"

I looked over to see Riko sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, hands folded. She smiled at me, almost looking embarrassed.

"Ah...I see." I smiled. "That's really nice of you, Weise."

He made some finishing touches on the dress and walked around it for a while, checking the craft with utmost care. "Hmm...oui. I think it's parfait!"

Riko slowly walked over, taken aback by the work of art. "And you'll...just give it to me? A-Are you sure, Weise? It's such a magnificent dress…"

Weise nodded, removing the dress from the mannequin. "But of course! You're my friend, after all!"

…

That made me worry that prior to coming here, Weise didn't have many friends…

Because of his isolated lifestyle back home, very few people outside his family and mentors made contact with him. Mostly to protect him from the paparazzi, right?

Does Weise have issues with paparazzi?

Huh…

If it were me, I'd tell them to fuck off.

…

Weise is too nice to do that.

"Go on, put it on!" Weise ushered Riko into a small changing room. "Please, please! Let me see how it looks on you!"

"O-Okay, Weise." Riko held the dress gently. "I shall do my best to wear your dress."

With that, she stepped inside and began to change.

The young fashion designer then walked over to me, picking up a tape measure and marker. "Ok, Kozaki. You're next."

"H-Huh?" I blinked. "I'm...next for what?"

"I'm making you an outfit as well, oui." Weise pointed to me. "Arms up, and stand straight!"

"I-I…" I raised my arms up, standing lackadaisically. Mostly because...I was caught off guard.

"Non, non." Weise shook his head. "Spread out your arms, and stand haut like a tree!"

I did my best to follow his directions. "L...Like this?"

"Hmm...pairfait. Hold still, s'il vous plait." Weise began to take measurements of my body. He measured my height, joint lengths, waist and chest sizes...every single little detail…

"C-Can I relax, now?" I gulped. "I...can't hold this any much longer. I'm tired…"

Weise stepped away, examining me through a window between his fingers. "Hnn...oui. I know what you need."

"A chair?" I smiled, sheepishly.

"Non. A haircut." He picked up a pair of scissors.

"N-No thanks!" I stepped back. "I'm...perfectly happy with my hair!"

He sighed, walking over to some fabric against the wall. "D'accord, d'accord. By the way, what's your favorite color?"

"Unm…" I scratched the back of my head. "Maroon…?"

"I see...hnn…" Weise picked up a selection of fabrics to prepare for work. He then took out his precious sketchbook and opened it, flipping through several pages. "Alright, I'm starting to get some beau ideas. I'll model your suit after my sixteenth iteration of my tux line. Que dis-tu?"

"I...whatever makes you happy, Weise…" I sighed, sitting on a nearby chair.

"Whatever makes _me_ heureux?" He shook his head. "Non, I'm not the one who will be wearing this tonight."

I...see his point…

"O-Okay...I uhh...like that a lot…" I felt at my right arm. "I-I...think so?"

Weise sighed and took a seat by a working desk. "Tres bien, tres bien...I'll just surprise you."

I watched as he began to work on the outfit. His fingers were quick and nimble, making his progression carry along easily. I've seen my mother sew before, but it would take her ten minutes just to stitch on a button. Weise took what seemed to be only ten seconds. I was truly watching the proof that showed Weise deserved his title as the Super-Highschool-Level Fashion Designer.

Riko walked over, standing besides me. "His ability is incredible, don't you think?"

I nodded, eyes still fixed on Weise. "It's really something…"

Seeing him cut the fabric, sew it under a sewing machine, stylize it…

Did he...just kiss the fabric?

I...uhh…

Is that normal?

"Oh, you saw it as well?" Riko giggled. "Weise kisses his fabric as a sort of blessing. Isn't it cute?"

"Uhh...Y-Yeah…" I turned to Riko. "Oh, wow...Riko, you look amazing."

She blushed lightly, feeling the skirt of her dress. "Do you think so?"

"Absolutely." I nodded, smiling.

Weise paused his work to get a good look at Riko in her new dress. "Oh...lovely...but take off your hat!"

"M-My hat?" Riko slowly took off her hat, nervously. "I...okay…"

Weise crossed his arms behind his back. "Hnn...come over."

He walked Riko over to a fashion mirror, it seems he was waiting for her opinion.

"I do really like it, Weise." The clarinetist smiled. "I'm grateful, thank you."

Weise nodded, smiling. "Non, _je vous_ remercie _._ Je suis...happy to do something for everyone…"

Riko knelt to Weise's eye level and kissed him on the head. "I love it. Please, accept my thanks."

He giggled softly, feeling his cheeks and blushing lightly. "Oui, thank you very much."

Riko walked back into the changing room as Weise returned to work on my own formal outfit for tonight.

I then looked to see Tikari nervously enter. "Oh, Tikari! You're here, too?"

She looked over to me and smiled. "Yeah. It looks like Weise is inviting everyone, eh?"

I nodded, watching Tikari come to take a seat besides me. "Looks like you're next, huh?"

"I think so." She nodded in return. "I just finished talking to Anne. She's asked me to pass a message to you."

"She...she has?" I asked, surprised. "What is it?"

Tikari sighed, feeling at her beanie. "She wants you to come meet her at the Puzzle Room, with me as well. It seems she wants us to solve the puzzle, eh?"

I gulped, looking to the side. "I...I don't know about this…"

"...I won't try to convince you to come, but…" The special educator took off her beanie with a sigh. "You and Riko both solved puzzles there already. Anne didn't want to ask her because she might still need to recover from…" She looked down. "You know…"

…

That leaves only me to help, in that case…

"I'll...think about it." I nodded once more. "Thanks for letting me know."

Riko stepped out from the changing room, carrying her new dress in her hands. "Alright, I'm ready to go."

"Oh, une seconde!" Weise hopped off from his seat, handing a decorated mask to the clarinetist. "Anne requested that we hold a bal masqué, so...please be sure not to lose this!"

"A...masquerade party?" Riko blinked, picking up the mask. "Why is that? We do already know each other…"

Weise smiled. "Ça a l'air amusant, though! Oui?"

...I think Anne might be bribing Weise with crepes.

"I...suppose it sounds exciting." Riko examined her mask. "What's this?"

"Oh, and the theme…" Weise nodded. "We're all going to be different zodiacs! Super génial! That part was mon idée." He crossed his arms behind his back, pridefully. "How does that sound?"

Honestly...it sounds as though that part wasn't his idea, but I won't comment on it.

"Why...it sounds fantastic." Riko put on the mask. "Though...what happens if we share a zodiac with someone?"

Weise puffed his cheeks, lightly. "I had to move some people around to get them with a zodiac, so...je suis désolé if it doesn't all line up…"

"Looks like I was lucky." Riko giggled, taking off her mask. "I got the Aquarius mask."

"Shh!" Weise pouted. "It's supposed to be un secret what you get! Now Kozaki and Tikari will know..."

"O-Oh...my apologies." Riko looked down.

The fashion designer sighed. "Non, ca va...I should've said so…"

Riko patted Weise on the head. "Dont worry about it. It was my fault, please do not trouble yourself"

He quickly whispered something to Riko, something about...her name being Aquarius now? Anyways, he nodded and watched Riko walk out of the room. He then turned back to me. "Alright, Kozaki! Now it's your turn."

I gulped, standing up. I was still getting used to the fact that my name is Kozaki. "I...okay…"

Weise handed me a tuxedo. It seems he made quick work with it, as he is probably used to making these. He pushed me to the changing room, so I pulled the curtain closed and began to change.

When I stepped out, I felt...absolutely embarrassed. I wasn't used to wearing something so formal...and so expensive as well.

"Looking snazzy, eh?" Tikari giggled, lightly.

"I...I think so…" I looked down at my attire.

Weise walked over to me, arms crossed. "Hnn...it needs something. Something... _vous._ "

"Is my physical body in the suit not _me_ enough?" I felt at the back of my head.

"Non…" Weise looked to the side in thought. "Hnn...aha!"

I watched him hurry over to his work desk, taking out some extra fabric and making quick work with it. He scurried back to me, holding...umm…

"Stand very still, mon amie." Weise slipped behind me. It seems he was sewing that...thing...to the back of my suit. "Hnn...and...done! Magnifique!"

I tried to look behind my back in confusion. "Uhh...what is this?"

Weise smiled and pulled the fabric over my head. "Tada! It's a hood!"

"O-Oh…" I chuckled. "I...guess that's pretty _me_. Though...I don't think I've ever seen a tuxedo with a hood before."

…

You know, when I think about it...didn't Weise sketch something like this in his book a few days ago?

Yeah...he said it was wrong, and he would draw it again. I...I guess this is the revamped design?

"You are the lucky recipient, eh?" Tikari stood up, walking over with a smile. "Is it my turn, Weise?"

"Oui." He turned to Tikari. "Veux-tu...a cocktail dress or...a mermaid dress? Hnn…"

Tikari felt at her beanie. "Umm...a flowy black dress sounds nice to me."

Weise nodded, then going over to his desk. He returned to me with a mask to match my suit.

…

Gemini, huh?

I see...so we're all going to-

A beep.

Oh no...what now?

Weise looked over to his tablet, biting his lip.

…

It's his turn...

He looked over to me, worriedly. "What should I do, Kozaki?"

I sighed, patting him on the head. "Don't...don't take the drugs, okay? You're...you're stronger than this."

He nodded, slowly gulping. We waited for the thirty seconds to pass and…

"Do you...feel okay?" Tkari asked, walking over.

Weise looked down. "Je...don't feel anything different…"

I looked to my Bottolet to see if anything happened that was important.

 **Weise Vayrne.**

 **Insignificant memory.**

...So it's not so bad. Maybe he just forgot about...when the last time he brushed his teeth was.

…

I decided to go get changed back into my usual outfit. Once I stepped out, I could see Weise finishing up Tikari's dress and...Mei entering the room. She seemed to be rather crossed.

"What's going on here, Vayrne?" She leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, Mei. You're early!" Weise smiled, taking a step back from the dress. "Can you tell me what your couleur préférée is?"

Mei looked to the dress for Tikari. "Estás...making ropa for everyone at the party?"

"Oui!" He smiled.

Mei frowned. "No quiero, Vayrne. I don't need a new outfit."

"Aw, c'mon Mei!" Tikari smiled. "Surely you can survive wearing a dress for one party."

The vigilante scowled. "I don't do dresses, hermana."

Weise puffed his cheeks. "It doesn't have to be une robe…"

"Oh?" Mei crossed her arms. "Hmm...if you insist I wear ropa nueva, then...I will settle with anything that comes con pantalones."

The fashion designer walked over to his sketchbook, looking at the designs thoughtfully. "I'll...see what I can do…"

I decided it would be best to step out and leave Weise to uh...that.

…

Before I left, I stopped by Tikari. "I'm...I'm sorry. I can't."

She looked to be slightly caught off guard, but then nodded. "I understand...wish us luck, then."

I sighed, preparing to leave.

The young fashion designer watched me prepare to head out, then looking as though he remembered something important. Weise called out, "Oh, mon amie! One thing!"

I paused to look back to him. "What's up, Weise?"

"Ce soir at the party, you'll be called Gemini, okay? We'll all go by names of the zodiac." Weise smiled. "For the theme."

"Got it." I nodded back in return, then exiting the room. Let's see...I think I should go visit the garden now.

* * *

I made a quick pit stop to the kitchen, where I saw a mass of desserts. Anne wasn't there...I guess she'd already gone to the Puzzle Room. She'll just have to wait for Tikari to finish up.

I shoved a sandwich down my mouth and headed to the garden, taking a seat facing the graves.

…

The atmosphere felt...chilling. All these nice memories we were making...I was keeping my promise, but…

…

I just wish...we all could make those nice memories together, all of us…

Why...did this have to happen? Why...does Monobotto want it to keep happening?

It's sickly entertained by this...for what reason? Why...why is our suffering...amusing?

…

I closed my eyes, clenching my fists. Now that fucking robot is making fanfiction about us. Now that fucking robot is wiping our memories. We'll...we'll lose everything. We'll forget why everyone died. We'll forget...the hell we're all trapped in…

…

I don't...I don't want to lose everything, damn it!

…

I excused myself from the garden. I...I couldn't stand there...I couldn't let them see me…

…

I laid down onto my bed, thinking that I should speak with Fifty-three. It's just...something was hovering over my mind.

…

Curiosity. What...what the fuck has Monobotto been writing about us?

I should...just be aware of what psycho is watching over us. What it thinks...its disgusting fantasies...

…

Okay, let's see what we have.

Monobotto sent me three pieces of fanfiction so far. Hmm...not as aggressive as Riko's.

Let's...see here…

 _'Kozaki Daisuke and the quest for the Fulfilling Lunch.'_

I…

…

This sounds like a shitty fanfic that a child would come up with!

...Oh well. It could be worse. Let's crack this bad boy open.

…

 _'There once was an absolutely foolish fool named Kozaki Daisuke. He lived with a group of other foolish fools in a house in space. One day, Kozaki Daisuke was hungry for his favorite food, macaroni and cheese.'_

...Huh. My favorite food is...macaroni and cheese? It does sound...like food from home. Wherever home is, that is…

Maybe this fanfiction...will actually help me remember what I've forgotten…?

' _However, there was one huge problem. The fools did not have any macaroni and cheese anywhere in their space house! What absolutely absolute fools could forget to pack the macaroni and cheese? Now Kozaki Daisuke was very sad. He could not eat his favorite food, he felt like a big loser.'_

...Monobotto writes worse than a kid in elementary school. What the fuck is this?

 _'Luckily for Kozaki Daisuke, his friend Fraize Kimizai knew just the solution. Actually, Fraize Kimizai was more than his friend. The secret is that Kozaki Daisuke and Fraize Kimizai are very, very, very special friends. Absolutely foolish friends indeed.'_

I'm...starting to worry how this fanfiction is turning…

 _'Fraize Kimizai said he knew just what Kozaki Daisuke could eat instead. Kozaki Daisuke was confused. Fraize Kimizai then went to the fridge and brought out a large sausage. Fraize Kimizai loves to eat sausages. He thinks Kozaki Daisuke will like them as well.'_

…

I...I...what? What the...what the fuck? Where is this going?!

 _'Kozaki Daisuke asks what kind of sausage it is. Fraize Kimizai responds that it is an Italian sausage. Kozaki Daisuke says he doesn't want to eat that. Fraize Kimizai asks what kind of sausage Kozaki Daisuke wants to eat. Kozaki Daisuke says he wants to eat Fra-'_

It took all of my will power not to throw my Bottolet across the room. I swiftly closed the file and tried to delete it...to no avail. Damn it, **damn it!**

…

Calm down, calm down…

…

I have plenty of free time before the party starts. I want to talk to Fifty-three, but...after _that mess of a fanfiction..._

I need to take a fucking nap.

…

What will be left by the time I wake up? How much more of my memories will be lost?

And the others, too…

…

Are we... really going to become hollowed beings?

But...even so…

…

It would be better...to be nothing if it means…

If….if it means…

Nobody will die…

…

I hate this.

* * *

I woke up from my nap to the sound of the night bell. Shit...is it already that time?

I changed into the outfit that Weise crafted for me, then brushing my hair carelessly with my fingers. What am I even supposed to do? This party...it's so much more formal than the one from yesterday…

…

Just...don't make a fool outta yourself, okay?

…

I slowly put on the Gemini mask, then closing my eyes.

Until I take the mask off, I'm Gemini. I can remember that.

Let's go to that party, then. Where is it?

I took out my Bottolet to see. The...Mono-shift Room. It...it looks like they somehow got Monobotto to change the room for the event. Probably they...had to bribe it with the promise of more fanfiction material. Uhg...it makes me sick to my stomach…

I got to the Mono-shift Room to see everyone already inside. The room was spacious, with many tables set up along the walls filled with dinner and dessert. There was even a croquembouche, one much larger from the one Anne created yesterday. It looked as though it would reach the small balcony at the far back: one that can be accessed from two different staircases on both the left and right sides of the room.

"Looks like we're all here now!" A voice behind the Cancer mask declared, pumping her fist in excitement. "Let's get this party started!"

I looked around the room feeling nervous. It was as though all my friends had transformed into the majestic zodiac beings...and me as well.

"Ah, Gemini!" Aries smiled, walking over to me. "We came out alright!"

I looked over to Aries, feeling relief. "How was the Puzzle Room?"

"Eh...not too bad." She smiled. "Pisces really helped me out. I'm pretty good at puzzles, but she's a really out-of-the-box thinker, and it really came in handy!"

"What did you two find?" I asked, interested.

She seemed to be saddened. "...Their belongings from their Shift-rooms. Since we...can't go in them anymore, Monobotto gave us their stuff…"

I looked down, sighing. "I...I see…"

"We didn't find any precious items...but...there was one more thing, though." She glanced to the side, then taking out a small envelope. "I...I figured you're the best person to go for this, eh? After all...after Yuuta's trial…"

...Huh?

The envelope...it has...that weird marking that Monobotto has on its face…

"I took a quick glance at the contents and…" Aries looked back to me. "... _Danganronpa._ That's...that's what this is called."

Taking the contents out of the envelope, my eyes widened lightly. Yes...this...this is it.

"Read it after the party and...let's talk about it later, okay?" She smiled. "I want us all to enjoy tonight, eh?"

"Thanks, will do." I nodded, tucking the envelope into my tuxedo. "You go enjoy yourself tonight, okay?"

She smiled, giving me a quick handshake. "Thanks, Gemini. I...hope we'll remember this by the time the party's over."

…

That's right...the memory roulette…

…

No, now isn't the time to worry about it. We're all going to have fun together. If all our memories will be gone by tomorrow...I'll act like this will be the day that I die.

I'll make nice memories with everyone.

With that, Aries walked over to Cancer and Scorpio.

Now then...I guess I should get something to eat.

I walked by the tables of food to see Capricorn gleefully stacking a plate full of crepes for himself. Even under the mask, he was still the same buddy I knew. "Got enough there?"

He puffed his cheeks, shaking his head. "Non, non. I need to try one of every crepe here! After that, I'll taste every cake, tous les bonbons!"

"I…" I chuckled. "Alright, bud. Just...don't eat too much. Promise?"

"Oui!" He smiled, gleefully.

After getting myself a simple caesar salad, I walked over to Pisces to see she was watching the croquembouche with great intensity. She was holding a piping bag in her hand, perhaps she was looking to decorate the tower with cream before having everyone eat it?

"Is everything okay?" I asked, blinking. "You seem to be very focused…"

She turned to me, smiling. "Oh, sweety! I'm just making sure it doesn't fall over. This work of art is pretty experimental."

"What do you mean?" I turned my focus to the tower of cream puffs.

"It's got three layers of cream puffs." She nodded, pridefully. "I had to add layers so I could get this as tall as it is. Isn't it incredible?"

"Yeah...it's amazing. You really went all out cooking all of our food." I nodded, happy for her achievement.

"Thank you, dear." Pisces curtsied to me. "You should go on and spend time with the others. Leo's been waiting for you."

Leo…?

I looked around to see if I could spot him in the crowd. He was standing near the drinks table, looking a little nervous.

"I see." I nodded. "Will do. Thanks, Pisces."

She smiled, then looking over to Aries. "Oh, Aries! Can you bring over Taurus, Cancer, and Aquarius? I need some help with the desserts!"

Aries looked over to her, then giving a quick wave to acknowledge she heard the request.

I slowly walked across the room to Leo, growing a little anxious with every step. I stopped just before him, smiling lightly. "Hey."

"Hola." He smiled back. "Como estás?"

"I-I'm pretty good." I nodded, looking down lightly. "Just...a little tired."

He took my hands, then looking to the side. "I...was wondering if…"

"Hmm?" I looked to our hands, then back up to him. "What is it?"

He pulled his hands away, chuckling lightly. "I...don't know if I should ask you in front of the others…"

I looked to the side to see Libra, Sagittarius, and Virgo looking in our direction. They seemed to be...surprised.

Hey, looks like Libra took off his mask for the party. There's...a large scar around his mouth. No wonder he wears that mask all the time...I feel bad for asking him about it now. This might be one of the only exceptions he'll ever make for taking it off. I hope he's okay…

Anyways...

"It's fine, Leo." I turned back to him, smiling. "I don't mind."

"A-Ah?" He blinked, but then laughed a little. "Oh, well in that case...valé!"

I watched Leo as he cleared his throat. It...looks like he's been planning this while waiting for me to arrive.

"Amigo...would you do me the honor?" Leo extended a hand out to me, smiling. "Bailar...conmigo?"

Dance…?

…

I may as well, right? I want to live...like there is no tomorrow. If we're going to lose all of our memories...if I won't even remember this...

I took his hand, looking at him in the eyes. He used his other arm to hold my backside, so I placed my free hand on top of his shoulder.

"Here, let me guide you." He nodded.

I closed my eyes, allowing him to sway my body as he pleased. I felt as though...we were alone together, that we were the only ones in the universe. I've had that feeling a few times with him, huh?

…

I opened my eyes, looking into his. He smiled at me, blushing lightly.

I don't know how long we danced for. It felt...pretty surreal.

Once at the finisher, he held me as I leaned back. This...this is dancing, right?

…

He placed a hand to my left cheek, squeezing my hand holding his other hand.

…

I'm not sure if he initiated it, or...if it was me…

…

I've never felt...such a warmth like this before…nobody's ever...I've never even thought I would ever…

Sharing that warmth with someone...

...M-My first...

…

I was embarrassed...but...I would be lying to say it didn't make me feel happy.

...I felt...happiness unlike any other. A happiness warming my soul...a happiness only he could give me.

...

But that happiness didn't last. I should've known that. I should've known...happiness always dies so suddenly in this place.

 _ **Ding Dong Dong Ding**_

" **A-body-has-been-discovered."**

...Wh...what?

N...No...no that can't be right…

Who...who?!

I pulled away from Leo. He didn't blame me, as he was just as shocked as I. None of us could believe it…none of us expected this at all.

" **Please-go-to-the-location-of-the-body. The-second-floor-dining-room."**

D...Dining room?! Who...who got killed in the dining room?!

Come to think about it, I could several people were absent from the room who were here before.

I found myself bolting out of the Mono-shift Room. I...I think everyone else was right behind me…

When I got to the door, I could see Mei standing guard, her mask taken off. She was...preserving the crime scene. It...it looks like she was one of the people to discover…!

"This...this is really…?" I tried to ask her.

The vigilante squeezed her eyes shut, nodding.

Who...who...which one of my friends is dead?! I couldn't wait any longer, I...I couldn't…

…

When I opened the door...that door to despair...I was hit with the cold wave of realization…

There on the floor, with the chandelier fallen and stabbing into her body with spears...laid the body of Tikari Fanorne, no mask, no doubt about it. The Super-Highschool-Level Special Educator...is dead.

…

N...No way…

What the fuck…

"What the fuck is this?!" I yelled out, whipping off my mask.

Everything was going so...so well. We were all having a party, and yet...w-why?

This...this was cruel. Too cruel…

Tikari...she and I were planning to discuss _Danganronpa_. We were going to see what truths we could find, to solve this puzzle we know as our hell. And yet…

…

Now…she's gone. Now...somebody's killed her…

* * *

~Chapter Three, Daily Life Three, End~

~Chapter Three, Deadly Life One, Start~


	17. Ball of the Blood Moon Deadly Life 1

Out of all the seasons that I watched, I think it was the second season that I resonated with the most. At least...before everything shattered from season fifty three.

There was always something so...human about _him._ A person who didn't know the potential they had inside, only to find themselves to have both nothing and everything at the same time.

I wondered...how did that feel like? How does it feel like...to be both so insignificant and so powerful at the same time?

He turned away from that. Turned away from that darkness casted from the long, black hair tangling his mind. He created something, something truly worth of being a miracle. With his own hands...he defied the future that was laid out for him.

And I wanted that. I wanted to do the same. I wanted to make something of myself. I didn't want to be a nobody any longer. And yet...how? How could I do something so incredible? How could I become something...something out from nothing?

I watched intensively, his journey into finding his own pace. Finding pride in himself, confidence and certainty in his identity. He could shout his name out, knowing who he was.

…

I couldn't do that. I couldn't do the same. My name...I don't know who I am besides the name given to me from birth.

Is that all there is? Am I just...a nobody? Someone doomed to fail, no matter how many times he stands up to bite down hard and try again?

…

No matter how many times...I tried…

I tried and I tried and I tried and I tried and I tried and I fucking tried.

…

And I reached my limit, I broke it. I tried too hard. Too much, too soon.

It collapsed. Everything fell apart. I broke down…

…

Snapped.

And when I opened my eyes in the hospital...was it...really me?

He, who opened his eyes positive about his identity. Knowing who he was with absolute certainty. Knowing the path he was going to walk without knowing it at all.

And I...who opened my eyes knowing nothing about who I was. Knowing I held nothing but the fragments of broken memories and shattered dreams. Knowing my hands were bleeding and I was miserable, so damn miserable.

…

And then I found out...all of it was fake anyway. So then...so what did it all mean? That there were no dreams, no struggles to success? What was it that I saw back then?

How much of _Danganronpa_ was real?

…

I didn't know the path I was going to walk, but...I did indeed know it. I knew that regardless of the steps I took, I would only be led to another failure.

…

That...that was what I thought before…

…

Before they found me and put my pieces back together in a new way. A way...I never would've expected.

…

A way...so terribly different and twisted…

I loathed it.

* * *

I couldn't comprehend what was in front of me. Tikari...Tikari?

Why Tikari?! Who...who did this to her?!

And...and in such a cruel way…! The chandelier...spears stabbing through her body in so many places…

Wh...why?! What did she do to deserve this?!

…

"T...Tikari?" Kyohi asked, gulping. "H...Hey...why is Tikari like that? Why...why is…"

"Because-someone-killed-her." Monobotto spun around, making its presence known in the room. "How-exciting-!"

I didn't even notice that bucket of bolts was already here…

"Now that you've seen the body, I will return your stolen memories." Monobotto extended an arm. "Hold-still-now. It-won't-hurt-too-much."

I...I don't believe that robot at all…

"Of-course-the-more-memories-you-lost…" Monobotto cackled. "The-more-pain-you'll-feel-!"

I backed away, nervously. Monobotto is looking at me...and I don't like that at all!

"Thank-you-for-volunteering-yourself-Kozaki-Daisuke. Come-over." Monobotto teased me.

"V-Volunteer myself? F-For what, getting my brain fried out?!" I felt ready to bolt right out from the room.

"Oh-?" It tilted its head. "You-make-it-sound-like-that's-a-bad-thing. Just-look-at-Mest. He-came-out-fine."

I turned to the tattoo artist to see his hair spiked in various directions. His mask was back on, he seemed to be...mortified.

"Y-You're kidding me." I shook my head. "It looks like he got struck by fucking lightning!"

"Then-you-can-only-imagine-how-it-will-feel-like." Monobotto grabbed me by the collar, extending out another arm. "Stop-wasting-time. You're-getting-your-memories-back-no-matter-what-!"

"G-Get off me, asshole!" I struggled.

Monobotto pressed the extra hand against my forehead. In that instance, I could feel my mind turn to mush. Then...all the memories started pouring in, all at once. It was too much. Too much...it...it hurt, it hurt like hell. It hurt like my body was ablaze, it hurt like I was drowning in a surge of pure electricity.

I lost conscious for a few minutes. When I opened my eyes, I found that despite my personal circumstances being different...the reality was the same…

...The cold reality where my friend, Tikari, is dead…

…

I slowly stood up, looking around the room. I could see...several people were missing. Weise, Riko, Anne, Sayino, and Neizami.

Where were they? Isn't it required for everyone to gather when a body is discovered?

"There-is-an-exception-to-the-rule." Monobotto explained. "This-case-happens-to-be-that-very-exception."

"Care to explain?" Zraiko asked, adjusting his glasses. It seems as though he already knew what the answer would be, but decided to ask regardless.

"I-cannot-tell-you." It beeped. "You-must-figure-it-out-on-your-own."

Mei raised an eyebrow, feeling at her chin. "Can't tell us? Sounds like no es la verdad..."

"Dang. You-saw-right-through-me. I-have-been-caught." Monobotto beeped.

"So...you just don't wanna tell us?" Kyohi blinked.

Monobotto ignored his question to hand out the file on Tikari.

 _ **Victim Information:**_  
 **The victim is Tikari Fanorne, The Super-Highschool-Level Special Educator.  
Her age was 17 years old.  
She lived in Montreal, Canada.  
She was five feet, ten inches tall.  
She weighed 142 pounds.  
She was allergic to peanuts.  
Her blood type was AB-  
The victim did not have a mental disorder.  
** _ **Victim Situation:**_ **  
The victim's body was discovered in the dining room by Mei Jiana, Zraiko Nikiroi, and Mest at 12:27 AM.  
The estimated time of death is unknown.  
The victim's cause of death is skewering into the abdominal region.  
The victim's heart rate was steady shortly before death.  
The victim's brain wave readings showed the victim was cheerful shortly before death.**

…

Wh...what is this?

Cheerful before death? Does...does that mean she didn't know what was coming her way?

…

Shouldn't she have seen the chandelier with the spears? Why didn't she feel a danger was in the room?

And...her time of death isn't known. Just...just like with Yuuta's...

…

I know for a fact she was alive at the beginning of the party. She gave me the letter about _Danganronpa…_

When...when during the party did she…?

…

"Alright, then...I guess that means we've gotta find that out for ourselves…" Kyohi looked down, upset. "...To think...a party that was meant to be fun would...end in such a disaster…?"

Yeah...why did this happen at all? Why couldn't we have had a peaceful, fun rest of the night? Why couldn't it have been like last night's party? We were all getting along, having a great time...

...And somebody came...and destroyed it.

…

Alright. There's no time to lose. I've gotta investigate to find out...who killed her.

"If-you-fools-insist-on-having-your-little-burial-ceremony…" Monobotto rolled out of the room. "I-do-not-care. You-have-two-hours-to-investigate."

…

A silence.

"K...Kozaki…" Kyohi nodded with faint confidence. "I'm ready to...be your note taker again."

"Thanks, Kyohi." I forced a smile. "I'm...I'm counting on you."

The hockey player nodded in response, taking out his Bottolet to prepare his documentation.

With a heavy sigh, I looked around the room to figure where I should begin. I noticed off to the side our resident hacker was examining the mask that belonged to Tikari with intensity.

"Zraiko, is there...something wrong with her mask?" I asked, interested in what he could be theorizing.

Zraiko handed the mask to me, then crossing his arms. "This mask's design is peculiar, wouldn't you say?"

The design…?

"What do you mean?" I asked, lifting the mask up and squinting my eyes.

"Just...the windows for the eyes." Zraiko looked to the side. "It's...got a few red flags being raised."

I decided to hold up the mask over my face to see what he was talking about. Sure enough…

"The...the mask cuts off the top half of my view…" I lowered the mask. "T...Then...if Tikari was wearing it while she was here…"

Zraiko nodded. "She wouldn't have seen the dangerous chandelier. Now then...the questions becomes if this was intentional or not. I can't overlook this."

…

I...I have a bad feeling about this…

…

Come on, Kozaki. Focus.

I decided to take a look at her body. It was…truly a horrific sight. Six spears in six places…

Where did these spears even come from? I've never seen anything like them here at all…

…

Tikari…

…

"Tikari…?"

I looked over to the door to see Riko, Sayino, and Anne enter the room.

"Guys? Where have you been?" Kyohi asked, surprised.

Riko held her hands together, looking to the side. "I apologize, I was in the laundry room. Anne had asked me to bring tablecloth from out of the dryer, and...I didn't quite know what to do when I heard the body discovery announcement. So...I took the cloth out and folded it to leave on a nearby table. That's when I ran over."

Sayino crossed her arms. "I was downstairs in the kitchen. Anne asked me to bring her an extra bowl of cream to ice the cakes."

Anne felt at her apron, looking down. "I lagged behind the others when the announcement went off. I...I asked Riko, Sayino, and Tikari all to help me with the party and…I tried to look for them, having a terrible feeling..." She felt at her cheek. "When they were all taking longer than I expected, I decided to go over to Mei, Mest, and Zraiko to see if they would check on them."

"Why's that?" I asked, feeling the back of my head.

She giggled a little. "W-Well...I couldn't interrupt you and Fraize. It was so sweet, after all…"

Fraize and I exchanged glances, blushing lightly.

The patisserie then looked to the side. "And...as for the others...Weise and Neizami...they disappeared. There was also Kyohi, but...I figured asking a group would be better."

Kyohi looked back over to Tikari's body, saddened. "And...since Tikari went to someplace also on the second floor, they came here first to find…"

…

"Then it seems we have two very suspicious people on our hands." Zraiko frowned.

The vigilante nodded in agreement, tugging on her jacket. "Vayrne and Otomaeda haven't shown up at all. Perhaps...she coerced him into killing Fanorne?"

"This cannot be it." Riko gulped. "I'm...I'm certain they wouldn't…"

Mest pressed his index finger to his temple, shaking his head. "Unfortunately...I believe this 'game' has proven time and time again...that we don't know who we really are…"

…

Damn it.

"Kozaki, if I may bring something to your attention…" Mest pointed towards the door. "Have a look at this."

I slowly walked towards the door as the others stepped away, some of them taking time to examine Tikari. I noticed something that looked like wiring tied to the door handle tightly, running along the side of the door towards the ceiling. That's when I noticed...quite the peculiar contraption.

"Open the door…" Mest pointed to each of the parts of the contraption. "Pull the string…"

I looked over to see...taped to the ceiling was a knife. If the string got pulled into the knife...it would be cut...and…

The string was...supporting the whole chandelier?! But...how could it've held all that weight? There...there has to be more to this…

Mest walked over to Tikari's body to examine the chandelier. "The string is tied in a way to evenly distribute all the weight of the chandelier. As you can see...each spoke is tied and balanced to perfection…"

I slowly walked over besides him, interested in his mathematical know-how. "Then...is this how the string could hold it up?"

Mest felt the string between his fingertips. "...There's more. This coating, Kozaki. Doesn't it feel...familiar?"

Looking towards the string in his hand, I traced my fingers over the string. "It...it feels like the same coating that was used for the handcuffs…"

"Exactly that." Mest released the string. "I believe we are already aware of the...incredible capabilities of the coating."

…

The coating made the handcuffs indestructible...

How did the killer even obtain the coating from Monobotto at all?

…

"Fraize?" I turned to mi amigo. "You said last night...Monobotto will supply you with anything if you'll use it for murder, right?"

He nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Mhm...creo que there is a limit, though."

"That's-right-you-fools-!" Monobotto suddenly bursted into the room.

"Y-You?!" Sayino stepped away, surprised. "Were you waiting outside the room to fly in whenever you felt like it?!"

"That-is-irrelevant." Monobotto spouted an arm to point upwards towards the ceiling. "As-it-seems-to-be-important-information-to-the-case-I-shall-explain-this. You-can-ask-me-to-retrieve-one-item-for-your-crime."

…

So that's how it is, then. The killer for sure asked Monobotto for the coating. Where did the original wire even come from? No idea. Does it matter?

…

Does...does it matter?

…

I looked back to Tikari's body. It looks like her clothes are all messed up and ruffled…

"Did...did someone go through her clothes?" I blinked, knowing she didn't look this way just earlier.

"Oh, sorry…" Sayino chuckled, sheepishly. "I figured we could've found some clues on her."

Anne nodded in agreement. "Yes, though...the search was fruitless."

…

Nothing on her person, then…

Damn…

"Heya, Kozaki? S-Shouldn't we try to look for Weise and Neizami?" Kyohi anxiously raised a hand. "I'm not feeling too good about this…"

I turned to the hockey player. "You're right, Kyohi. Let's go find them right away."

"Allow me to accompany you." Mest nodded, calmly.

Fraize smiled, nodding as well. "I'll come as well, amigo."

Zraiko adjusted his glasses, looking around the crime scene. "I'll continue investigating here. Come back when you're ready to…"

"To bury her...yes, we must do it as a group all together." Riko gulped, looking down.

"Got it." I nodded, leaving the room.

* * *

What do you think of the word despair?

Despair…?

Heh...what kind of question is this? You come and appear before me after all this time, and this is the first thing you say to me?

Just answer the question.

…

Despair, huh? Well...it's a lot of things. It's...the feeling of everything happening too quickly, weights constantly piled onto your shoulders until your bones break and you can't withstand it any longer.

What do you think about hope?

...Seriously...what are these questions?

Answer.

…

Hope...is a waste of time. I've let hope fool me before...and I'm not going to think twice about it now.

Hmm...I see…

…

Are you still in on _Danganronpa,_ then? That show ended years ago. I wouldn't easily forget about those two buzzwords.

No. It's over.

...Why are you here?

Don't tell me...you're not happy to see me?

You didn't exactly leave on...good terms…

Ah, I guess not.

…

Leave me alone.

Come on, now. You don't want to spend some time with me?

No. How did you even get in here? They're not accepting visitors.

Don't forget I'm a licensed psychologist. I'm not a visitor...I'm here to see you about...other matters.

…

Tell me something.

What is it?

Who are you?

Heh. What a silly question. You already know who I am.

...Then...who am I?

Hmm...that matter is...a bit more complicated. Only you know who you are. If you don't...who the hell does?

…

I…

Well...that's how it normally goes, right? But listen closely. I can tell you who you are.

Oh...can you?

Just let me tell you something simple, okay? Now give me your ears for only a moment.

…

What do you want to tell me?

...Heh...it's been so long since I've seen your face. Your naive smile, your hopeful eyes...where did it all go wrong?

...Is that all?

Heh...in truth…

...

 **Anata ni aitakatta.**

* * *

The most logical place to continue the investigation was the Mono-shift room. After all...Tikari seemed to be just...having a good time with everyone at the party short before...before…

…

Get it together, Kozaki. You have to keep going. Don't stop. Everyone is...counting on me…

I took in a deep breath, trying to sort out my thoughts. Just relax. Focus. You can do this.

…

"Kozaki, is everything ok?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

I looked to the side, insecurely.

...I...

Mest raised an eyebrow to me. Seems he was waiting for a response.

"O-Oh…" I looked over to the hockey player, feeling the back of my head. "I...I mean...no. nothing is okay right now…"

He sighed, looking down. "I'm sorry."

A brief silence.

"Are you...able to continue?" Mest asked, looking at me intensively.

…

I forced myself to nod. This...maybe this is all starting to get to me. Maybe...I'm getting too close to my breaking point. I don't...I don't know how much more of this I can take…

"Amigo...do you want to take a break?" Fraize asked, looking me in the eyes. It was as though he knew I was pushing myself…

…

"If I don't...if I don't investigate, we won't be able to solve Tikari's murder. I...I have to do this." I nodded again. "Please...I'll be fine…"

They all exchanged glances before looking back to me. Seeing their affirmation, I turned to the door and gripped the handle.

…

Come on, Kozaki. You can't falter now. Everyone...everyone needs me…

I opened the door to the Mono-shift room, then walking inside. Then…

Th...then…

I was hit head-on with something I never could've anticipated.

There...way in the far back of the room…

The tower of cream puffs destroyed...and laying on the table...blood spilt all over…

There laid the body of Neizami Otomaeda. The Super-Highschool-Level Digital Artist…

D...Dead...dead?!

 _ **Ding Dong Dong Ding**_

" **A-body-has-been-discovered. Wow-! Two-victims-this-time-? What-a-twist-!"**

"N...Neizami?!" Kyohi yelled out in shock. "H-Hey! Why...why is Neizami laying on the table?! Why is there blood everywhere?!"

Fraize gulped, looking away. "S...Someone killed...dos personas?"

Mest felt at his left wrist, closing his eyes. "It seems...our situation has just become...significantly more grim."

" **Please-go-over-to-the-location-of-the-body. The-Mono-shift-Room."**

…

Neizami...why...why did this happen…?

I felt myself growing lightheaded. I...I can't do this...I can't do this anymore…

I felt like puking...I felt like I was dying…I felt my legs give away.

Fraize caught me, helping to support me. "Kozaki...por favor, take a break…"

I looked over to him, biting my lip.

Neizami...Neizami is…

Someone...someone killed her…

Two...two of our friends...dead…

The room began to fill with everyone else, everyone in shock horror.

"Neizami...Neizami, too?!" Sayino asked in disbelief.

Anne covered her mouth, tearfully. "N...No…"

"Did...did she die _while_ we were investigating Tikari's death?" Riko gulped, holding her hands together. "H-How did this happen?!"

"The motive was already lifted. There was no reason for such an unnecessary murder." Zraiko frowned, crossing his arms. "Whoever did this...was doing it for some other reason."

"Esta dos traidores?" Mei asked, turning to the hacker.

Zraiko took off his glasses to feel his forehead. "Honestly...I don't know."

"It-wouldn't-be-the-first-time." Monobotto rolled into the room. "It's-always-oh-so-very-interesting-when-that-happens."

...That fucker...here it goes again, treating this all like...like a game…

Damn it...damn that fucking robot!

"Here-are-the-Bottolet-files-for-the-newest-victim-!" Monobotto announced.

I looked to my Bottolet to read the information on Neizami's death. Did...did she really die while we were investigating Tikari's death?

Th...that can't be...can it…?

 _ **Victim Information:**_  
 **The victim is Neizami Otomaeda, The Super-Highschool-Level Digital Artist.  
Her age was 18 years old.  
She lived in Seoul, South Korea.  
She was five feet, seven inches tall.  
She weighed 121 pounds.  
She was allergic to pollen.  
Her blood type was O+  
The victim did not have a mental disorder.  
** _ **Victim Situation:**_ **  
The victim's body was discovered in the Mono-shift Room by Kozaki Daisuke, Fraize Kimizai, Kyohi Hayai, and Mest at 1:15 AM.  
The estimated time of death is 12:47 AM.  
The victim's cause of death is unknown.  
The victim's heart rate was increasing shortly before death.  
The victim's brain wave readings showed the victim was distressed shortly before death.**

...Neizami...you...you really did die while we were investigating…

T-Then...how did...who could've…?!

…

There's...no cause of death.

I guess that means we'll have to figure it out for ourselves, then…

...I hate this. I hate this, I hate this.

Why...why, Neizami? Why here, why now?!

We _just_ lost Tikari...and...and now...you too?!

Who...who did this? Who in their right mind…

…

Whoever did this...is going to pay…

…

All this unnecessary death...all this pain...and for what?

A thrilling show?

…

Come to think of it...when will we finally get some help?! Please...please don't tell me…

…

The envelope Tikari gave me. This game we're playing...this _Danganronpa_ …

Is it...is it true? Are people really just...watching us die...for fun?

...No, I...I refuse to accept this!

…

Come on, Kozaki. Go...go and...investigate again...you have to do it…!

...I can't. It hurts…

"...Amigo." Fraize patted me on the shoulder. "...I'm asking you...to stop."

"Huh?" I turned to him, surprised. "Wh...what do you mean…?"

"Stop investigating...please." He sighed. "Let me...take over for you."

"B...But I…" I gulped. "I have to do this...I…"

He shook his head, walking me off to the side. "You're pushing too hard, amigo. Por favor...take a break."

I looked down in shame, slowly sliding down the wall into a sitting position. "...Okay…"

Fraize gave me a short nod, then walking off with the others towards Neizami's body.

…

It was then when I noticed...Weise was still missing - even now. Where...where is he?

Then...I heard a peculiar sound, or...rather I just noticed it. Has it been here this whole time…?

…

I walked over to the origin of the sound, finding Weise under the table, his face squished into a piece of cake.

Wh...what was he doing here?

"W-Weise?" I shook him, lightly. "Wake up, come on…"

…

Nothing. How could he be sleeping at a time like this?

Gently pulling out from the table, I carried him over to the wall and had a seat once again, having him rest besides me. I needed to keep a close eye on him...this...this didn't look normal.

…

Could he...could he have been...drugged to sleep from the food?

No, that's not possible. We all ate the food together.

…

I...I swear. I don't know if I'm paranoid, but...he can't be sleeping naturally. It...it has to be drugs. That means...it's part of the crime…

...And that's why Monobotto wasn't concerned over Weise's circumstances. Because...the killer could've done this to him.

Don't...don't tell me...the killer was planning to…

"Hnn…"

I looked back to the fashion designer to see him slowly wake up, rubbing his eyes.

"Q...Quoi...?" He looked around, then noticing me. "K...Kozaki? What happened? I…"

I sighed, biting my lip. "W-Weise...I...I don't know how to say this, but…"

I then looked over to the others. There was a rising sense of discord...and...it seems it was striking someone right to his core.

K...Kyohi was…

"Who did this?!" He yelled out, to everyone. "She was finally starting to love herself again! She was finally going to be okay! And now she's been killed?! Why?!"

I...I've never seen this side to Kyohi before. He was...he was angry. So...so damn angry…

"You treated her so horribly before she died!" Kyohi pointed to Zraiko. "Especially you! What do you have to say for yourself - say to her?! That you're sorry?!"

Zraiko gulped. It seems he was completely caught off guard. "I...well…"

"It's too little, too late…" The hockey player looked down. "Who...who did this to her? Why...why is my partner, my friend...why is she dead?"

"What about Tikari? She's dead, too! Are you just going to sweep that under the rug?!" The hacker pointed at Kyohi. "Or how about everyone else who died?!"

"You didn't treat everyone else like...like a monster!" Kyohi looked up, I could see tears streaming from his eyes. "You...you were so cruel to Neizami!"

"Can you blame us for being suspicious?!" Zraiko reached his boiling point. "We didn't want her to try and kill someone again!"

Kyohi clenched his fist and punched Zraiko in the stomach. "I'll never forgive you!"

With that...he stormed out of the room…

…

Silence.

* * *

Hey, hey. Thanks for coming out to see me. Honestly, I didn't think you'd actually come at all. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?

…

What's the matter? Got nothing to say? That's pretty unlike yourself, buddy.

...Quiet.

Hmm, I see.

...Tell me.

Hmm?

Tell me the story you used to tell me when I was little.

The story about…?

You know the one.

Ah. Alright. Well...it all started out with six friends trapped in a cave deep underground. One of them thought of a plan to get them all out of there and-

No. Tell me how the story _really_ goes.

Hmm?

I saw your season. I want you to tell me the whole story, just like how it really was.

...Alright then. And why is that? You want me...to confess?

It's more complicated than that. It could be, but maybe...maybe it's something else.

Something else? What more could it be?

…Hey. Don't waste my time. Just tell me the story, the real story.

Alright. Well, there really were six people trapped underground. They weren't friends, though. Just survivors.

Survivors of an ongoing killing game, right?

They were all given a motive to continue the song and dance, and one of them took up on it immediately. He went to someone he sympathized the most with and killed her, giving her a painless death.

She knew he would kill her.

Indeed.

She accepted it.

She did.

And how did he feel? Regret? Sorrow?

Mercy.

Mercy?

He thought it was an act of mercy, for she would not face a brutal execution.

And everyone chose the blackened wrong. Everyone thought it was a suicide. They didn't expect him to kill her. And they were executed. One. By. One.

They were.

And how did he feel? Ashamed? Did he feel anything?

Did he? Hmm...perhaps he did?

Does he, standing before me, feel anything at all?

Heh. Looks like you know, then.

I do know. I know he who killed them all is standing before me now.

Do you feel afraid?

No.

Oh? Why is that?

Because we are tied together by blood.

We are?

We are. I know who you are. I know there's a reason why we are standing here right now, together.

What are you going to do about it?

...I've been thinking about what you told me. Thinking...thinking a lot.

Ah? Really? What a surprise. You never cease to amaze me, buddy.

Stop calling me your buddy.

Sorry. Hmm...what changed your mind? You were super against it before, y'know?

...It's my business. And just so you know, I never said I changed my mind either.

Huh? C'mon, man. Just hint me. I wanna know.

...Well…

Mhm? Mhm? Mhhhhm?

The truth is...I think this...

This...this…?

This will finally break the cycle, heh. I've been meaning to break this cursed dance of misery I've been on. If I can't escape misery...I'll embrace it. Maybe it's meant to be.

Meant to be, hmm? That sounds romantic.

...Enough. Let's go, already.

Really, then?

Yes.

...Alright.

* * *

"T...Tikari est…?" Weise asked, lip quivering. "Et...Neizami, too?"

I nodded, looking down. "Y-Yeah...I...I don't know what to say…"

Weise looked down, saddened. "Why?"

"...We don't know why, but...mark my words." I nodded. "We're going to find out why. You hear me?"

He nodded, gulping.

"...Weise, can you tell me...how did you fall asleep? What were you doing before?"

Weise felt at his head. "...I...I can't rappeler…"

That's right. Weise still hasn't had his memories returned to him.

"Come with me, Weise." I stood up. "Monobotto's been giving everyone their memories back. It's your turn now, alright?"

He stood up slowly, walking with me out of the Mono-shift Room. We didn't get too far before he tripped over, falling to the floor.

"A-Are you alright?" I helped him to stand. "...Hey, your shoe laces aren't tied. That's dangerous, buddy."

Weise looked down, puffing his cheeks. "I know…"

"I'll wait for you to tie them, okay?" I nodded, patiently.

...But he didn't do anything. He just looked down to his feet, his cheeks puffing up even more as he was concentrating deeply.

"W-Weise…?" I asked. "What's the matter?"

He looked back to me, it looks like he was tearing up. "J-Je...Je ne peux pas…!"

"You...can't?" I blinked.

Weise began to sob out of embarrassment. "I can't tie my shoelaces, Kozaki! I've oublie how!"

I quickly tried to calm the young fashion designer. "Weise, please...it's okay. It's not your fault. Monobotto probably did that to you. Here…" I crouched down, tying his shoes for him. "Better?"

He sniffled, nodding slowly.

"...What's this stuff on your right shoe?" I asked, examining it.

Weise looked down, surprised. "Je...Je ne pas know…"

"It...it looks like...a cream puff?" I then looked even closer. "T...There's blood on it!"

"H-Hueh?!" He was terrified. "Get it lache moi!"

I swiftly brushed the cream puff off the sole of his shoe. "There. It's gone."

Weise sighed, feeling relief. "Merci…"

I guess he must've stepped on one of the puffs on our way out…

…

Now then...where is that fucker?

"Hey, Mono-shithead!" I called out. "Where are you, you bucket of bolts?!"

"What-is-this-? Kozaki-Daisuke-wants-to-see-me-?" Monobotto rolled over to us. "Well-aren't-you-full-of-surprises-? What-do-you-want-?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just give Weise his memories back, okay?"

Monobotto paused. "Not-yet. It-is-required-that-he-must-see-the-victim-related-to-this-motive-first."

...He...he has to see Tikari's body…?!

…

"Je...Je peux…" Weise gulped. "If...if I have to…"

We slowly walked over to the dining room. Kyohi was there, sitting besides the body of the special educator.

"Kyohi…" I tried to say something, not knowing if I should disturb him.

"...Heya, Kozaki…" He turned back to me, sighing. "Hey, Weise…"

"Is...is everything okay?" I gulped, knowing that it was obviously not alright.

Kyohi looked down, shaking his head. "No…none of this is okay...I...I tried so hard to believe…" He closed his eyes. "I tried so hard to believe in us, all of us. I believed this wouldn't happen again. And...and yet...why?"

…

"I don't know why, Kyohi." I shook my head. "I don't know, and that's why I fucking hate it. I want to believe in all of us, too. I want...I want so damn bad that this will end! And yet...the more I want it, the farther it is from me. It's...it's not fair."

Kyohi turned back to me, feeling his right shoulder. "...You're right…"

"Did-you-take-a-good-look-at-the-body-Weise-Vayrne-?" Monobotto asked, soulessly.

"O...Oui…" He looked down, saddened. "It's...so cruel…"

"Perfect." The bucket of bolts extended out a hand. "Now-hold-still-while-I-zap-you."

Weise looked up, surprised. "W-Wh-?"

Monobotto didn't give him any time to react. The robotic hand was pressed against his forehead, returning the stolen memories. Weise stumbled and fell onto his bottom, feeling at his head. It...it looks like he didn't lose very much.

"Hey, Weise…" I knelt down besides him. "Do you remember now?"

He looked back to me, puffing his cheeks. "I...I remember how to tie my les lacets!"

"E-Er...that's fantastic." I scratched the back of my head. "But...what about...you know…"

He closed his eyes to concentrate for a while, then looking crestfallen. "I'm...I'm sorry. I can't rappelles toi at all...the whole party is blanked out…"

...What?

"Hey, Monobutto. You forgot to give back all of Weise's memories." Kyohi walked over. "That's not very cool, you know."

Monobotto tilted its head. "Oh-?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're supposed to return _all_ of the memories you took, asshole. You said it yourself."

Monobotto paused for a minute, then giving us a grizzly response. "Returning-the-memories-of-someone-present-at-the-time-of-the-crime-is-an-exception-to-this."

...Wh...what? Weise...Weise was there at the scene of Neizami's murder?!

Weise shook his head, slowly. "M-mais...mais I wasn't present at tout crime!"

"That's-what-you-want-to-believe. In-truth. If-I-return-these-memories-to-Weise-Vayrne…" Monobotto cackled. "The-blackened-would-be-immediately-revealed-! There-would-be-no-need-of-a-class-trial-! And-where-is-the-fun-in-that-? No. No-fun. That's-no-good-at-all-!"

D...Does that...does that mean...Weise...Weise saw Neizami's murder?!

"Isn't...isn't that a bit too convenient for you?" Kyohi asked, a little skeptical. "I thought...these memories would be lost at random?"

Monobotto slowly spun around. "About-that."

"H-Huh?" The hockey player blinked.

"Recall-the-rules-of-this-Killing-Odyssey. I-can-change-the-rules-whenever-I-see-it-fit." The bucket of bolts began to leave. "That-includes-manipulating-the-motive."

"Bastard...you picked out those memories on purpose!" I frowned, pointing at the mechanical mayhem. "What the hell does that do for us!?"

"Simply-put." Monobotto stopped. "Nothing."

With that, it left us stranded for answers in the dining room.

…

Damn...damn it! Damn that fucking robot!

"D...Does cela signifie…" Weise's eyes widened in horror. "Did...Did I...Did I t-tuer…?"

"No, no you didn't!" I looked back to Weise. "That's just what it _wants_ you to believe!"

"B...But Kozaki...what if…" He covered his face. "What if I did?"

…

If he did…

He knows it, and I know it as well. If Weise killed Neizami…

…

I didn't have the heart to tell him the answer he already knew.

"...Weise." I firmly patted him on the shoulder. "I'll do everything I can to clear your name, alright?"

The fashion designer looked me in the eyes. "V...Vous will?"

"Because...even if belief is just a lie and means nothing...even if we're all torn apart from each other…!" I nodded. "I believe in _you_ , Weise. I know...with absolute certainty...you did not kill Neizami. And I'll prove it. I'll do everything I can to prove it."

"W...What if you're faux?" He gulped.

I closed my eyes, sighing. "At least...I'll die believing in someone rather than doubting them."

* * *

We all gathered together in the garden to lay Neizami and Tikari to rest in peace. Monobotto didn't expand the time limit for the murder, so...we were running a little short on time, unfortunately.

So...we gave our words of parting just as every time before. I thanked Neizami for trying her best to believe in herself again...I told her I believed in her all along. I knew...I knew she was good. I knew she was trying...trying so hard…

…

I thanked Tikari for the letter she gave me. I thanked her for her kindness, I thanked her for helping me to remember what matters most to me. My family...my friends…

…

I can't...I can't keep doing this…

Why...why is everyone dying around me? The more I try to save them, the more they slip away…

Is there nothing...nothing I can do at all? Nothing to save them?

…

"At this rate…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "We're all be dead within the next week or so."

Horrified, I turned to the hacker. "W...What?"

"It's the cold, brutal truth." He frowned. "We all keep saying that this game will end, that we will never have another murder. And yet? We're still dying."

…

Kyohi shook his head. "Stop it, Zraiko. Just...just stop being…"

"Stop being…?" He raised an eyebrow.

"A...A jerk!" Kyohi pointed to Zraiko, frowning as well. "Don't you feel anything? Our friends are dead, Zraiko! Someone is going to be executed for this, Zraiko! We...we could all die here!"

The hacker looked for a response, but fell silent.

…

Damn...damn it…

"We only have around twenty minutes left before the trial…" Riko gulped, looking down. "What shall we do?"

"...Spread out." Mest crossed his arms, calculating our next move as a group. "We know the dining room and Mono-shift Room have already been investigated thoroughly. I say...we need to see the Puzzle Room, student Shift Rooms, laundry room, and the kitchen."

The vigilante looked around our group, critically. "Hmm...Daisuke, go with Makora and Kimizai to the kitchen. Hamoizumi, go with Kimidori and Vayrne to the laundry room. Nikiroi, come with me to the Shift Rooms. Mest and Hayai, go to the Puzzle Room. Clear?"

Seeing Mei take charge, we all exchanged glances before nodding. With that, I headed out with Fraize and Sayino to the kitchen.

We need to work together. We have to find out who killed our friends.

…

There's...so many different ways this could go. Were they...even killed by the same person? Did one kill the other, and then get killed by someone else? I…

I don't want to know...but I guess there's no choice but to find out…

…

"Hey...is there anything weird here?" Sayino crossed her arms. "I mean...the kitchen is just how it was when I entered the first time."

The kitchen was...frankly a mess. It was like a dessert tornado went through here. Well...I guess that's sorta true. Anne must've been making her sweets like crazy for the party.

There were numerous bowls of whipped cream around the room, with plates of cupcakes running along the countertops. The plan might've been to provide us with freshly-prepared sweets throughout the whole party into the night, but…

…

"No creo que...anything's wrong in la cocina…" Fraize turned to me. "What do you think, amigo?"

I crossed my arms, thinking carefully. "N...No, I think the kitchen is looking just fine…"

"We still have some time left. What should we do?" The motorcyclist asked, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't want us to have done a botch job with the investigation…"

Hmm…

"Let...let me go see Neizami's crime scene, please." I turned to Fraize. "I know...I know you wanted to give me a break, but...I...I need to see it. Please, Fraize."

After a few moments for him to consider, he caved in. "Okay, Kozaki. Just...por favor, promise me you'll…"

"I know." I nodded. "Come on. Let's check the room again."

So...we walked back to the Mono-shift room. I never had a chance to look at Neizami's body besides when we buried her, so Fraized filled me in on the details. There was a huge stab wound that went through her body all the way, and yet...there was no trace of a weapon that could've killed her in such a cruel way. They also investigated the balcony and anywhere around the table where the tower of cream puffs once stood, but...nothing much was there to be found besides some footprints, mostly due to the fact that multiple people were standing at the balcony at the party anyways. Fraize did say he wanted to look at them again, so I didn't stop him. Meanwhile, I stood where Neizami's body was found, feeling at my right arm.

"Find anything, Kozaki?" Sayino asked, wondering what I was thinking.

"N...Not really…" I sighed, stepping back. "It's all just as Fraize said. I can't see anything he missed."

"Hmm...you know…" The motorcyclist glanced towards the cakes on the side, smiling sheepishly at the largest cake in particular. "A snack before the trial sounds pretty good. It'll charge us up, don't you think? Besides, we can leg it to the Compass if we need to. They won't start the trial without us."

"S-Sayino, wait…!" I tried to stop her from approaching the cakes. "T-The crime scene, s-shouldn't we preserve it?!"

But she was already cutting herself a slice of cake. "C'mon, Kozaki. This cake is pretty great, innit?"

"I-" I tried to say something before she handed me a slice.

"Hey, Fraize! Come over and have some cake with us!" Sayino called out to the tour guide.

He seemed to be baffled, but decided to join us. "Huh? Pero...comer ahora?"

"Just eat." She smiled, cutting another slice. It was then when her smile faded. "Huh…?"

We all looked closely at the cake to see a small metal beam in the freshly sliced cake.

"Oh. I've...I've heard of this." Fraize felt at his chin. "Large tiered pasteles typically have small beams. Para la fundación, yo pienso."

"Huh…" I decided to cut a horizontal cross section of the cake. Sure enough, there was a ring of these metal beams. "I see...but...aren't the beams typically made from...plastic?"

Sayino shrugged. "I guess you just have to work with whatever you can find."

Before I could say anything, I could hear a dinging sound. Fraize and Sayino looked to their Bottolets.

"It's time…" The motorcyclist nodded. "Alright...I hope we can do this."

I closed my eyes, nodding slowly. "We...we have to do this. Let's go, guys…"

And so...we walked together to meet with everyone else at the Compass. With that, the elevator doors creaked open.

…

I felt less hesitant this time to step inside. I don't want to say it's because I'm getting used to this. Please, please don't let this be the reason why. I feel...I feel it's because…

I want to get this class trial done to bring our friends justice.

…

Yes. I don't want to see another execution. I don't want to see anyone else die.

...But…

I want to bring the truth to light. So...So I must…

...I must...continue on…

I closed my eyes as the elevator doors shut, holding hands with Riko and Fraize once again.

We can do this. We can...we can solve this murder, together. I'm sure of it.

Weise took Riko's hand gently, smiling lightly. We looked over to Kyohi, who seemed to still be very upset. Fraize smiled and reached out to him with his free hand, to which the hockey player smiled and accepted the offer.

* * *

The elevator doors opened, placing us into the trial room.

…

It feels awful to be back here.

"...Hey, hold on. Can we even have a class trial now?" Sayino asked, feeling at her head. "It's nearly three in the morning...I feel my eyes getting heavy…"

...Now that she mentioned it...how the hell does Monobotto expect us to perform at a time like this?!

Weise yawned, looking down. It seems his sugar rush was finally wearing off. Seems his nap from earlier didn't do much to keep him awake now, huh? "Oui...Je ne...I don't think we can have a class trial now…"

I looked down, starting to feel dizzy. "W...When you say it like this...heh...hehe…"

"W...What's so funny, Kozaki?" Riko asked, worriedly.

I felt as though I would fall over. Everything...everything was so exhausting… "N...Nothing's funny, Riko. I...I just...feel horrible…"

She nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes. "A...Ah…"

"Fools-! What-are-you-waiting-for-? Get-to-your-podiums-!" The bucket of bolts impatiently commanded us.

"But...but…" Kyohi gulped. "Can we really…?"

It was in this moment where Monobotto sprouted numerous hands from its body and unleashing them upon us. In the midst of the chaos, I felt a prick at the back of my neck causing my eyes to widen greatly.

"There-you-are-you-fools. Are-you-wide-awake-now?" Monobotto beeped, retracting its arms. "Enough-wasting-time. Move-it-!"

Wh...what was this injection?!

I...I feel as though I slept for a whole day. Wh...what is this?

…

I...I better take my spot before that robot injects me with any other weird substances…

…

And so...we all took our places back onto the podiums, gloves fitted to our hands once again. I started to feel...really cold inside. Six...six portraits were in the place of where living people should've been. The number only continues to grow...and...I'm scared. I'm scared that if we don't do something…

…

What if I'm left...standing alone…?

What if I'm the only person alive, surrounded by the portraits of my friends?

…

No, it won't come to this. It can't end this way. These killing have to stop.

If the class trials aren't an example enough for the consequences of our suffering...what could be? What possibly could be?

…

There is a blackened among us responsible for killing Neizami and Tikari. Perhaps there is more than one. I don't know right now, but I know I'll find out soon.

It's time. With this class trial, we'll find out the reason why two of our friends had to die at a party meant to keep us together.

It's time to face the music. I can't afford to look away...it's time to step up. I can't be afraid, for their sakes. I will stand up and...give it my everything.

…

I'll find out why this happened. And once I do, I hope they'll be able to rest in peace.

Once I do, we can continue on and desperately claw for a peaceful daily life.

…

There's no choice in this sick game of life and death. The only thing we can do is to continue.

Otherwise...death awaits…

…

Come on, then. Fight. Fight for them.

Fight to find the truth…

…

 _Fight to end this killing game._

 **CLASS TRIAL, START.**

* * *

~Chapter Three, Deadly Life One, End~

~Chapter Three, Class Trial One, Start~


	18. Ball of the Blood Moon Trial 1

"Come on, Kozaki. Hurry now." My mother waved at me to come over. "You don't want to be late for your first day, do you?"

I gulped, nodding silently and walking over.

My mother helped put on my backpack for me, then taking me by the hand. "We'll have to walk a little bit fast, okay?"

I nodded again, squeezing my mother's hand.

We made haste to hurry through town. I almost tripped on the sidewalk six different times on the way. When we finally arrived, my mother led me to the front door.

"Just in time…" She smiled, then kneeling down and placing her hands on my shoulders. "Okay, Kozaki. Go make yourself lots of friends, okay?" She gave me a kiss on my forehead. "I'll be back to pick you up at four. Now go inside, class will start."

I watched my mother walk away, then I turned to face the door to the school. Kindergarten...I was scared. What if...nobody wants to be friends with me?

Walking inside, I looked around to see several different kindergarten teachers standing and chatting with each other. They were all holding slips of papers with names, watching over all the children as they entered.

"What's your name, dear?" One of the teachers asked, looking over to me.

I was always terrible around strangers. Gripping the straps of my backpack, I looked down. "K...Kozaki…"

"Kozaki?" One of the other teachers smiled. "You're in my class, A. The class is just down the hall to the left. You'll see your name on one of the stickers on the door, okay?"

I nodded, then doing my best to follow the directions. My mother told me all the kindergarteners would be sorted into classes based on their last name, so...I guess I'll see what children I will get to meet.

I stepped into the classroom, closing the door behind me nervously. The room was filled with children, squealing sounds in the air. There were five different colored tables, each one shaped like a pentagon. The chairs also had names on them, I think they were randomized…

I took a seat in the chair with my name on it, sliding my backpack off and leaving it besides me. The center of the table had baskets with glue, crayons, construction paper, and little plastic jewels. I felt at my right arm in anxiety. What do I do? Should I...go talk to the other children?

...But I'm scared...I'm scared nobody will wanna be my friend…

"Hi!"

I looked over to see a boy sit besides me, smiling widely. His black hair was messy, and his clothes looked like he picked them out last second. He had a bandaid over his nose, and a couple of scratch marks and bruises on his arms and legs.

"My name is Mikanne! Wanna be my friend?!" He extended a hand out to me.

I was surprised by how forward he was. He barely even knew me, and yet...

"Y...Yeah…" I slowly shook his hand. "M-My name is Kozaki."

"Kozaki?" He tilted his head to the side. "Ooh...that's a cool name!"

"D...Do you think so?" I gulped, embarrassed.

He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms, nodding. "Well sure! I think it's super cool. Like...like you're a dinosaur ranger!"

"D-Dinosaur ranger?" I asked, feeling slightly excited. "That _does_ sound cool!"

He nodded again. "Mhm, mhm! Hey, Kozaki. What do you think about my name?"

I took a moment to think about it. "Umm...Mikanne sounds like...somebody who will be my friend?"

He blinked, then laughed. "That's funny, Kozaki."

"O-Oh…" I looked down.

"Yeah, I think we'll be good friends...the...the goodest friends!" He clapped his hands together. "We'll be like peanut butter and jelly! I know because I can look into the future!"

"Y-You can?!" I gasped.

He then nodded once more with confidence. "Duh, I can! I predict that in three seconds, Miss Dana will walk in the room."

I counted to three-mississippi, though...I'm not quite sure if I was too slow. Once I finished, the door opened and in stepped our teacher.

"Wow...you really _can_ predict the future." I smiled. "That's super awesome!"

Mikanne seemed to be surprised by the fact his prediction was true, but then brushed it off. "O-Of course I can! That's why...I predict…" He pumped a fist into the air. "That we're gonna be the goodest friends!"

Heh...we were pretty good friends. I don't think I've ever met someone quite like him.

…

But...now where is he?

He's gone...forever...isn't he?

...No more smiles...no more shenanigans together…

…

If we were really like peanut butter and jelly...why couldn't we stick together?

* * *

...The third trial. Once again...we're back in the ring.

I don't want to say I'm getting used to this. I don't want to say I'm getting comfortable to using the trial to find the killer. I don't want to say I understand it at all.

If I...admit it...what does that make me?

I don't want to get used to the sight of seeing my friends die over and over…

Maybe...maybe I'll be killed…

Maybe...there'll be a trial to find who killed me…

And...how many people will be left?

…

Five...three...one?

No one?

…

No, Kozaki. Stop it. Don't think like that. Don't give in.

…

I...I have to clear my head. It's time to find out...why our masquerade ball ended in tragedy.

I took out my Bottolet to quickly check the notes Kyohi took for us, creating truth bullets based on the information we found. I was sure to add every detail...every…

…

Every suspicious item.

It didn't end there. After I finished copying down our notes to the truth bullets, I added a few ones of my own based on the things I've personally seen.

…

"You-may-now-upload-your-truth-bullets." Monobotto hopped up and down. "I-have-a-good-feeling-about-this-! This-trial-will-be-exciting-!"

"Exciting for you, maybe." Sayino frowned. "Let me know when you're going to bring out the popcorn again."

"Tsk-tsk. I-will-not-be-sharing-my-popcorn-with-any-of-you-fools." Monobotto looked across the room. "Now-hurry-it-up. We-have-a-trial-to-begin-!"

Sighing, I submitted my truth bullets and uploaded them into the ring.

Now then...how do we start…?

"Well, well, well...this case just might be open and shut." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "The amount of evidence we have seems to be more than enough."

"Il est?" Weise asked, looking over to the hacker.

Mest crossed his arms, looking to the side. "The amount of pointers to this individual is...impossible to overlook…"

Weise then turned to the tattoo artist. "Do you think so?"

"When I think about it…" Sayino scratched the back of her head. "You guys are right...there's so much weird stuff going on with this person…"

Weise then turned to the motorcyclist. "Ensuite...then we know who the tueur is already? That means the class trial can end now!" He then puffed his cheeks. "So...who's the culprit?"

"...It's you, Vayrne." Mei pointed to the fashion designer. "Confesa."

A short silence.

"...H…" Weise blinked, processing Mei's claim. "H...H-HUEH?!"

"Please wait!" Riko raised a hand. "I...I do not believe we can jump in like this!"

"Oh dear…" Anne felt at her cheek. "But sweety...they're right. There isn't a lot going in Weise's favor…"

"Non, you're wrong! I...I didn't kill anyone!" Weise shook his head. "Je ne voudrias pas!"

"Can you say that...with absolute certainty?" Mest asked, pressing his index finger to his forehead.

Wiese looked down, gulping. "...I…"

"E-Espera, por favor." Fraize tried to lead the discussion. "It's too soon to start with accusations, verdad? Empezamos from the beginning as always."

"In that case...what should we call...the beginning?" Sayino crossed her arms. "How far back do we need to go?"

Hmm...how far back do we need to go for this case?

I'll give this a quick think…

 **When we found Tikari's body?**

No...that's way too soon. We won't be able to get anywhere from having such a small scope...

 **The beginning of tonight's party?**

Hmm...I'm not sure if this will give us enough information if we start here either. We know that the murder happened at some point during the party, but...there could be stuff happening in the party preparations that are related to this murder.

 **When Anne announced the second party?**

...No. I want to start even further than this. We need to start at the key event that linked all of this together.

 **Announcement of the motive?**

...Hmm..yeah. Starting at the motive could give us a good idea on why Tikari and Neizami were both killed.

"I think we should start with the motive." I felt at the back of my head. "A-After all...I want to know how losing memories can lead to...murder…"

The tattoo artist raised his index finger. "If I may bring a proposition...we should all create a timeline consisting of who lost what memories."

"Good idea, Mest." Riko smiled, on board. "The Bottolets told us all who would lose a memory, so writing it down and roadmapping it could come in handy."

"We should also include what the memory was." Zraiko crossed his arms. "That is...if you can remember what memory you lost."

Kyohi took out his Bottolet and opened up a note taking app. "Alright. I'll make the timeline. The first roulette landed on Kozaki, causing him to forget his identity before waking up in the killing game. Next was me. I...forgot that I ate anything for breakfast, according to Anne."

The patissiere nodded. "That's right. Dear asked me to cook him something just before it was lunch time. He was starving…"

"But...but hold on." Sayino blinked. "Even if Kyohi forgot what he ate for breakfast...why would he feel the need to eat? The stuff's in his stomach, innit?"

Monobotto stepped in to answer the question. "There-is-an-interesting-psychological-condition-where-you-can-convince-yourself-fully-that-something-happened-based-on-false-memory. If-you-were-to-remember-an-event-incorrectly-but-convince-yourself-it-is-the-truth…" It hopped up and down in excitement. "It-indeed-becomes- _your_ -truth. Therefore-with-influence-from-the-memory-wipe-Kyohi-Hayai-was-convinced-he-had-not-eaten-breakfast-which-in-turn-caused-him-to-feel-hungry."

...This sounds like it's important to remember. I should take note on this new information…

…

"So then...next was Neizami." Sayino sighed. "Though...it seems we may never know what memory she lost."

"But it was insignificant. We should note this." Zraiko nodded. "Every little detail could be crucial."

"Nikiroi. You were next, verdad?" Mei asked, frowning lightly. "Pero...you blocked the motive con el fármaco."

The hacker firmly nodded. "Yes, that is correct. Mest was with me at the time."

"What happened cuando you took the drug?" Fraize asked, gulping.

Zraiko shook his head. "Never got to find out."

...Never got to find out? Why's that?

…

Wait. He's talking about _that_ , right?

 **Zraiko asked Mest to knock him out.**

"That's because you asked Mest to immediately knock you out." I nodded. "So that the side effects wouldn't cause you to be...driven to murder."

He nodded in response. "Exactly that."

"Then hold on, hold on." Sayino looked to the side. "How about instead of going through every single memory, we should focus on the instances where people took the drug."

"I respectfully agree." Anne felt at her apron. "It might take forever to discuss every single last memory wipe incident."

...That's right. I wasn't paying attention at all to the roulette. How many memories were lost up until Tiraki's death?

…

How many memories...did I lose?

…

"So then, I say everyone who took el fármaco should fess up." The vigilante crossed her arms. "Surely Nikiroi wasn't the only one."

There was an awkward silence. Slowly, a few hands were raised into the air.

Zraiko, Mest, Anne, Riko, and Weise all raised their hands.

"Boom." Mei tugged at her jacket. "Una lista de traidores posiblimentes. Y adivina qué?" She squinted her eyes to Weise. "Vayrne is included in the list."

"B-But I'm not the killer!" His cheeks puffed up.

Weise...I thought I was able to convince you not to take the drug...why...why did you?

Kyohi looked around the room, then typing into his Bottolet again. "Alright...so why did you all take the drugs?"

Zraiko adjusted his glasses, frowning. "I didn't want to risk forgetting something significant such as my talent. Otherwise we may never get out of here."

Mest felt at his left wrist. "It was after I had already lost such a significant memory to me...I feared the consequences of losing another…"

Anne nodded in agreement. "That's the same reason for me, dear. I was worried I'd lose even more…"

Riko gulped holding her hands together. "One of the memory wipes caused me to forget how to even speak. I...I was filled with fear...and I gave in." She looked down, ashamed. "I'm truly sorry, especially to you, Kozaki…"

"R-Riko…" I shook my head. "It's alright. I don't blame you for feeling this way."

She slowly looked up. "B...But…"

I tried to offer a smile. "Shitty situation...right?"

The clarinetist lightly giggled. "Indeed…"

Lastly...we were brought to Weise.

"Alright, Weise. What's your reason, then?" Kyohi asked, all ears.

The fashion designer looked away. "...I kept losing so many insignificant memoires in a row, I-I feared for the pire…" He gulped. "I forgot how to tie my shoelaces, I forgot how to count past ten, I forgot the words to my favorite song...I-I even forgot where the salle de bain were located!" He looked down in shame, clutching his hands together. "I...I had to take such a terrible wee…" His face grew red. "I-It was a catastrophe, oui! I-I was frightened for my life!"

"I...can attest to the bathroom claim." Zraiko sighed, feeling at his head. "Weise started knocking on my door like crazy, distracting me from my work. When I opened my Shift Room door, he was on the floor in a fetal position, crying his eyes out. Apparently he had been working on designing without a single bathroom break and…" He adjusted his glasses. "When my turn came, it seems his bladder was about to burst. I had to carry him to the men's room so he could relieve himself."

"...That...that's quite the story." The motorcyclist chuckled, awkwardly.

"S-Sí." Fraize cracked a smile. "Ah, lo siento, Weise."

Weise covered his face, feeling absolutely ashamed.

* * *

"So then...let's move on to discussing the actual crime scenes." Zraiko looked over to Tikari's portrait. "Starting with Tikari's. Her body was discovered by Mei, Mest, and myself."

"Fanorne was killed because of la trampa de araña." Mei frowned. "There were lanzas tied to it."

Mest crossed his arms, glancing in my direction. "I already discussed this with Kozaki, but...it seems that the chandelier was triggered to fall from Tikari opening the door."

"Really?" Anne asked, feeling at her cheek. "But...how is this possible?"

"We found a wire that was running along the door." I explained. "It was holding up the chandelier. When Tikari opened the door to step inside, pulling on the door handle applied pressure to the wire, causing it to be cut by a knife we found on the ceiling."

"Hmm...but...isn't there a problem with that?" Sayino placed her hands on her hips. "That would mean the culprit would've had to take the chandelier down, tie the spears to it, place it up again, run the wire to the ceiling, tape the knife up, and...well, what I'm getting as is…" She tilted her head. "It doesn't sound like Weise could've done that."

"Because I n'a pas!" Weise pouted.

"Not so fast. There might've been a way." Zraiko nodded. "All he had to do was step onto the table to reach the ceiling."

"What about the tools to bring the chandelier down?" Riko lightly frowned. "I do not believe Weise could've gotten them."

"Because I n'a pas!" Weise repeated himself. "I am not the tueur!"

"Isn't there a rule that Monobotto will bring anything you need for murder?" The motorcyclist looked over to the resident robot. "So...Weise could've just asked for a toolbox, right?"

…

Hold on. There's...there's something wrong with that…

"Isn't there **anywhere else** the tools could've come from?" Anne looked around.

"Maybe they came from the **kitchen."** Kyohi felt at his shoulder.

Riko slightly raised a hand. "Perhaps...the tools were hidden away in a place **we had yet to encounter?"**

"Oh, like en películas de espías?" Fraize nodded. "Hmm...es posible."

"I wouldn't have secret rooms be entirely out of the question…" Zraiko felt at his chin. "After all...Kozaki and Weise have seen a secret room in the library. There may be many more."

"I dunno, guys." Sayino shrugged. " **The tools came from Monobotto.** That's the only thing I can think of."

" _ **Just one second!"**_

I held the truth bullet, _Killing Game Rules._

"What's up, Kozaki?" The motorcyclist turned to me, surprised. "You don't think Monobotto gave the tools to Weise?"

"Of course not! I'm not the tueur!" Weise looked down, saddened. "Why won't anyone croire me…?"

...Weise…

…

"No, Sayino. There's a rule that we just learned about." I pointed to the bucket of bolts. "Monobotto can only supply the killer with _one_ thing for their crime."

"...So…" Sayino scratched the back of her head. "If Monobotto didn't give the killer the tools, what did it give them?"

Hmm...I should already know the answer to this one.

I picked up another truth bullet, _Wires_. "The coating that's on this wire. It's the same one used during the handcuffs motive."

"That-is-correct." Monobotto beeped. "I-will-confirm-this. The-killer-asked-me-to-provide-them-with-the-coating."

"That means the tools did not come from Monobotto." Riko held her hands together. "Shall we try to figure out where they came from?"

"Finding where the tools came from will not make the _irrefutable_ evidence go away." Zraiko pointed to Weise. "The evidence that proves your involvement in the crime."

"W-What?" Weise looked back to Zraiko, surprised. "B-But…"

...Irrefutable evidence? What's he talking about?

"This." Zraiko held up a truth bullet, _Aries Mask._ "Tikari was wearing this mask at the party, and we found something quite peculiar about it...didn't we, Kozaki?" He turned to me.

"Y...You're talking about how the top half of her vision was cut off by it, right?" I asked.

"Exactly." Zraiko glared to the fashion designer. "Tikari wasn't able to see the danger in front of her because of this mask. Who else could be responsible for this except for the very designer of the mask?"

"Y-You are mistaken!" Weise shook his head. "I didn't know anything about a trap in the dining room o-or any of this! I was at the party the whole time!"

But his voice was shaking. Shaking with great intensity and fear.

...Something that he just said doesn't stick right with me…

...

"Can you say that with absolute certainty?" The hacker advanced. "Do you know perfectly the events of the party? Can you prove you were there?"

"I…" Weise gulped.

"So then, Weise. What happened at the party? Surely everyone who was there would've noticed _this event_ happening." Zraiko frowned. "Go on, tell us."

Weise felt at his head. "I...I…"

The event in the party nobody would've missed?

...I-Is...is he talking about…

"You're...you're talking about how Fraize and I were dancing together, right?" I asked, gulping.

"It was very touching to see." Anne smiled, feeling at her cheek. "You two looked so happy together...why, I believe everyone at the party witnessed your dance."

Sayino chuckled. "You guys are cute together. Is it official?"

"A-Ah…" Fraize blushed, lightly.

"We're getting off topic. The point is…" Zraiko crossed his arms. "Weise didn't see you dance. That means he wasn't at the party at that time. That means...he could've been setting up the trap to kill Tikari."

"Non, c'est faux!" Weise denied the accusation.

"When I think about it, did anyone see Weise at the party at all?" The motorcyclist asked.

"I saw him towards the beginning." I felt at my right arm. "I didn't see him again until after we found Neizami's body…"

"Yeah...same here." Sayino nodded. "I know I saw Weise at the beginning, but...he suddenly disappeared."

"Case and point." The hacker shook his head. "Weise, where were you when you vanished from the party? Confess."

Weise gulped, looking down. "I-I don't remember…"

"Y...You don't remember?" Anne asked. "But...isn't that all the more reason to find you suspicious?"

"T-The thing is, guys…" Kyohi gulped. "Monobotto refused to give back Weise's memories about the party…"

"Oh?" The hacker adjusted his glasses. "Do tell."

"Monobotto said...Weise was at the scene of the crime…" I felt at my right arm. "And...if his memories were returned, the blackened would be found right away…"

"So...doesn't that just mean Vayrne is el traidor?" Mei raised an eyebrow.

"Being at the scene of the crime doesn't mean Weise actually committed it." Riko looked over to the poor fashion designer. "Isn't that right, Weise?"

Weise nodded, silently.

"Something I want to bring up that might help…" I looked to the side. "I found Weise unconscious under the table at Neizami's crime scene. It looked as if...he was drugged to sleep. It wasn't natural at all...how could he be sleeping through two different investigations? After all...Monobotto didn't even intervene. It must mean...this was part of the crime."

"So couldn't he have knocked himself out?" Zraiko asked, critically. "Planted himself under the table to make it look like he was attacked by someone else?"

"Why are you trying so hard to pin this on Weise?!" Kyohi was growing angry.

"Pin this on him?! The evidence doesn't lie!" The hacker frowned. "Weise was involved with the organization of this party. It gave him leverage over anyone else to prepare a murder!"

"Oh dear…" Anne felt at her apron. "Please, we must calm down. Spatting won't help any of us."

"I'm upset...two more of our friends have died, and now someone else is going to die!" Kyohi pointed to Zraiko. "And you're just going to bully everyone over it!"

Zraiko was about to say something, but was stopped by Mest upon their eyes lining up. He sighed and relaxed his body. "I apologize. I'm...only looking to find the truth."

"Maybe the truth is that Weise isn't the culprit." The hockey player's eyes were filled with sadness. "At...at least give him a chance to defend himself…"

The hacker slowly nodded. "...Alright. Weise, why do you say you aren't the killer?"

The fashion designer looked down. "I...I can't prove it…"

"So...you are the killer?" Sayino asked, worriedly.

"I...I don't know!" Weise began to tear up. "I don't know what happened du tout! I forgot everything! W...What if I did?! K-Killing my friends...n-not even being able to remember…!"

Mest sighed and reached over to pat Weise on the back. "...Deep breaths, Weise…"

"I...I don't want to believe I killed my friends…" Weise sniffled. "B-But...if...if **all the evidence** is pointing to me...t-then…" He began to cry. "Then...maybe I did do it...then...maybe I am the t...tueur...I...I don't wanna mourir…"

…

All the evidence…?

" _ **Hold on a minute!"**_ I called out.

Everyone looked towards me.

"What's wrong, Kozaki?" Riko asked, worriedly.

"It's...it's just…" I shook my head. "That's the thing. Not _all_ of the evidence points to Weise!"

"What do you mean?" Sayino scratched the back of her head.

"Because _this_ piece of evidence contradicts this." I picked up a truth bullet, _Tikari's Crime Scene._

Riko gasped lightly. "Kozaki, do you mean to say…"

I nodded, firmly. "I'm saying...Weise never went into the dining room until after Neizami's death. That means...he couldn't have been the one to set the trap."

"Explica, Daisuke." Mei looked to me, tilting her head lightly. "How do you know?"

"Up until the start of the party, Weise was making clothes for all of us, right?" I looked over to the fashion designer.

"O-Oui." Weise nodded. "The last dress I finished was for Anne. Elle et moi were together up until the start of the party, and...that's when...I can't remember anything else…"

Anne nodded as well. "Yes, this is true. _Weise and I were together the whole time."_

...The way Anne put an emphasis on that...I can't help but feel something strange about it…

…

Not now. Stay focused.

"That means Weise couldn't have set the trap in the dining room for Tikari." I turned to Zraiko. "Anne was there with him, so...there's no way he would. He is not Tikari's killer, I...I believe in him."

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Hmm...I see...so he isn't Tikari's killer."

Weise smiled, feeling relief. "That's driot! Now do you believe moi?"

"Hold on, I haven't finished my thought yet." Zraiko pointed to Weise. "Just because you're not Tikari's killer...doesn't mean you aren't Neizami's killer."

Weise blinked, then looking down. "B...But…"

"Nuthead, answer me this." Zraiko pointed to Monobotto. "Is it possible to have two different killers?"

Monobotto paused, then responding. "Yes. Though...there is a special rule regarding this case..."

Zraiko turned back to us, brushing off the 'rule' part. "There you have it. Even if Weise didn't kill Tikari, he could've killed Neizami."

"That sounds as though you are convinced." Kyohi frowned.

"Unlike in Tikari's case…" Zraiko looked over to the digital artist's portrait. "Nothing contradicts the possibility of him killing Neizami."

Weise looked away, tears rolling down his cheeks.

* * *

"Next...we should go over Neizami's crime scene." Mest felt at his left wrist. "Perhaps the most peculiar thing is...we don't know what the murder weapon is."

"All we know is...something went right through her body." Sayino placed a fist over her heart. "But damn...we found no trace of anything like that at all."

"I think that means necesitamos buscar what the murder weapon was, sí?" Fraize felt at the back of his neck.

I didn't have the chance to investigate the crime scene when Neizami's body was still there, so I wasn't sure what to say about it. I needed...to count on the others to figure this one out. Personally, I don't think I saw anything near the crime scene that could be counted as a weapon besides the knives to cut cake, but...they wouldn't have made a wound like the one that killed Neizami.

...Come on, Kozaki. You can do this! You can find out what happened, and you can prove Weise is innocent!

"Neizami's body was found on the table under the balcony…" Kyohi sighed, looking down. "And there was a stab that went all the way through her…"

"Hmm…" Sayino decided to bring up a question. "D'ya think the killer placed her body there on purpose?"

"What do you mean, sweety?" Anne asked, feeling at her apron.

"I mean...think about it. The cracker bush was totally destroyed and there was blood everywhere, too. It's super dramatic, innit?" The motorcyclist asked.

...Hmm...that's true. The crime scene really does look odd. But...did the killer really move her body there?

"The killer murdered Neizami somewhere else, then placed her onto the table. That's your proposal?" The hacker questioned.

"Well yeah." Sayino shrugged. "It makes sense to me."

...I feel like...something is wrong here.

"Umm...Sayino...if that's true…" I felt at my right arm. "Then...can I ask something?"

"Yeah?" She turned to me, tilting her head. "What's up, Kozaki?"

…

 **What's wrong with Sayino's proposal?**

If the killer moved Neizami's body onto the table…

…

Neizami's wound...it would've splattered blood all over, right?

In that case...wouldn't _this_ evidence have been left behind?

"Neizami's blood...wouldn't it have gotten onto the killer's clothes?" I asked.

Riko nodded, holding her hands together. "I must agree with Kozaki. If Neizami was killed somewhere else, there must've been some form of evidence left behind. After all...if she died in between us investigating Tikari's death and then returning back to the ballroom, that wouldn't have been enough time for the killer to clean up something like this."

"Hmm...I guess that makes sense…" Sayino crossed her arms. "Then...does that mean Neizami was killed _on_ the table?"

"It sounds weird, but...yes." I nodded. "Because of the bloodstains and everything...she had to have been killed there."

"But Neizami wouldn't just...lay down and accept death." Kyohi raised a hand. "How could she have been killed on the table, then?"

"I…" I looked down, scratching the back of my head.

…

I…

I don't...I don't know…

"I'm...I'm sure there's a way to prove it!" I insisted.

"...So...you just don't know?" Sayino placed her hands on her hips. "But...aren't you the one who always wants to get the full picture?"

"Y-You're right…" I gulped. "I-I don't mean to sound hypocritical at all! I...I'm just...I'm sure we'll find out somehow!"

"Look."

I looked over towards the hacker. "Z...Zraiko?

"You...can't actually prove it at all, can you?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Kozaki, I get it. You want to find all the answers...but we can't just make up evidence. Perhaps the truth is...we can't tell how Neizami ended up in such a state."

I grit my teeth, looking down. This...this can't be the end. There has to be some way...I...I can't let it end this way...I have to do something…!

...It's no use...I don't have anything. No leads, no ideas...I don't know how Neizami died at all. I never had the chance to even see her body at the crime scene. I have...I have no way to tell…

…

"Kozaki might not have the proof...pero…"

I slowly looked up, looking in the direction of mi amigo.

"That doesn't mean...someone else can't have it." Fraize smiled, picking up a truth bullet. "Yo tengo la evidencia right here."

T...That's…

 _Balcony Footprints._

"Hmm?" The hacker raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then do tell. What do you have, Fraize?"

"I found la huellas de Neizami allí." Fraize crossed his arms. "She was the only one a la fiesta con zapatos de 'high heel,' verdad? The prints were in...a very strange way. The back of her feet...they were facing the railing."

"T-Then...are you saying Neizami fell from the balcony to her death?" Anne asked, worriedly.

"I'm saying...she was pushed off." Fraize made a hand motion to describe his thoughts. "Because...I found some other prints que no desde Neizami."

"Well if that's the case, whose prints are they?" The motorcyclist asked, leaning in.

Fraize looked to the side, shaking his head slowly. "No tengo idea…"

Riko then raised her hand, lightly. "Ah, but this does open a new mystery to the murder!"

Kyohi glanced to the side for a moment, then looking back to the group. "You're right...if Neizami fell from the balcony onto the cracker bush-"

"Quackenbush." Sayino grinned.

Anne sighed, feeling at her cheek. "No, dears...it's a croquembouche…"

"R-Right…" The hockey player nodded, thoughtfully. "Why isn't her cause of death...falling? We all saw that huge stab through her. What could've caused a wound...l-like that?"

I felt useless, probably for the first time in a while. I was so used to participating in the trial - so used to helping to find the culprit...being in this position makes me feel...pathetic...my friends took over for me, and...they're saving my ass right now…

…

Heh...so that's how it feels, huh?

I should do what I can to help drive the discussion as well.

"Do you think the stab happened **before Neizami fell from the balcony?"** Sayino asked, feeling the back of her head.

"If that's the case...what weapon could've done it?" Mest felt at his left wrist. "To go all the way through…"

" **Maybe a knife?"** Weise twiddled his fingers in thought.

Riko held her hands together. "But could a knife have created the wound type we saw on her body?"

"What if Neizami was struck with the weapon **after she fell?"** I tried to offer another perspective.

Mei raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Después? Daisuke, how would that even be possible?"

I gulped, feeling at my right arm. "W...Well...I'm not really sure…"

The vigilante sighed, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "As expected of you, Dunce-suke…"

" _ **Tengo de acuerdo contigo!"**_

Fraize smiled to me, nodding. "Good thinking, amigo!"

"H-Huh?" I blinked, surprised. "Y...You agree with me?"

Fraize showed another truth bullet, flashing a grin. "And here's why."

 _Neizami's File._ That's his evidence…? But the cause of death is missing…

"I think because of la tipa de her fatal wound...she had to have been stricken with...an incredible force." The tour guide pointed down. "Que es a better force...than gravity?"

"You're saying Neizami fell into the weapon that killed her?" The hacker felt at his chin. "Where would the weapon be located, then?"

I took a moment to think about it, wanting to do my best to contribute.

 **Where did Neizami fall from?**

From the balcony. We know this because of the positioning of her footprints. She must've fallen backwards, maybe...the killer pushed her off.

 **What was under the balcony?**

One of the...one of the desserts tables was set up there. If I recall correctly, that is.

 **What was on the dessert table under the balcony?**

Hmm...the cra...cracken...fuck it. The tower of cream puffs was there. After all, it was destroyed when we found Neizami's body. She must've fallen onto the tower.

 **In that case, where was the murder weapon hidden?**

..

No...No fucking way...that's crazy…

I…

Is this for real…?!

Shaking my head in disbelief, I swallowed hard as my gaze met with Fraize. He...he seemed to be thinking the same thing.

…

If the murder weapon was hiding there...then...only one person could've known about it!

 **Select a suspect.**

* * *

" _ **It has to be you."**_

…

Two rings...one coral, one tangerine.

"Ah?" She looked to us, tilting her head lightly. "Oh dear...what is this?"

"...The murder weapon...it could only have been hidden in that cream puff tower." I frowned at her. "And...as its creator, you would know something about that, wouldn't you?"

Anne smiled, feeling at her apron. "Would I, sweety?"

"A...Anne…?" Sayino was caught off guard. "That can't be right, can it…?"

"Oh dear, can it be?" She swayed her body back and forth. "Certainly not, dears. It's not me."

"You're the only one who could've known, though." I tried to advance. "You built that whole tower yourself. You watched it carefully, even during the party! S...So…?"

She slowly blinked, repeating me in a cold tone. "So…?"

...Anne...y...you didn't actually kill Neizami, did you?

"You can suspect me all you like…" She playfully swayed her body again. "But the weapon...it's gone. Sweety...if no such weapon at all exists...this would be impossible."

"I dunno...I'm not liking that shift in personality you're having right now…" Sayino gulped, crossing her arms.

Slowly blinking again, the patisserie began to smile while feeling at her apron. "My, I apologize. I never thought _I_ would be accused of murder. I always get so cold under stress...colder than a nice, sweet gelato after a summer's swim."

…

She did it. There's no way anyone else could've.

…

"And what if I were to tell you I know where this weapon is?" I tried to advance again. "And...what if its location incriminates you?"

"Ah?" She turned to me. "My, my...sweety, do you truly believe I am the culprit…?"

Fraize stepped in, nodding firmly. "Anne, Kozaki y yo...we know where you hid the weapon." He then turned to the motorcyclist. "Y...tambien, Sayino knows too."

"I do?" Sayino felt at her chin.

The place Anne hid the murder weapon…

…

Oh fuck...don't tell me…!

I picked up the truth bullet, _Party Desserts._ "Anne...you hid the weapon in the food."

"Huh…?" She began to grow cold again. "Did I…? Where…?"

Closing my eyes, I sighed. "...In the largest cake. Sayino cut it open and found metal supports inside, as it is a tiered cake."

"Metal supports killed her?" Kyohi asked, not quite following.

"No...they were only made to look like metal supports." I pointed to Anne, feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline. "I bet if we assemble the pieces, we'll find out the true identity of these, _won't we?!"_

Monobotto hopped up and down in excitement. "Oh-boy-! Things-are-starting-to-pick-up-steam-! Allow-me-to-humbly-be-of-service-!"

Suddenly, several miniature Monobottos rolled into the room. They were all working together to carry the large cake in question. Meanwhile, the main Monobotto sprouted arms and picked up the cake, then rubbing its mechanical hands together. "Time-to-eat-!"

And...well...it did just that. In a weird...robot grinding sort of way.

All that was left were the metal pieces in question. Monobotto didn't even bother to clean them, just tossing them over to me. "Here-you-are-Kozaki-Daisuke-! Have-at-it-!"

Uhg...thanks, asshole…

"I dunno, Kozaki…" Sayino scratched the back of her head. "Didn't we agree earlier these were supports for the tiered cake?"

"...That was before we knew…" I looked over the pieces. "How it all fits together."

With that, I began to assemble the pieces. Moving pieces around, screwing them in place...if they weren't covered in cake I could've handled it much faster. Oh well…

"The truth of these metal pieces is…" I held up the murder weapon for all to see. "It's a spear."

A short silence.

"Oh...I guess that's true…" Anne showed a twisted smile. "Ah...ah...my, my…"

Wh...what's going on here…? She's acting so...so…

…

So unlike herself…

"But...but maybe it wasn't Anne!" Weise raised a hand, puffing his cheeks. "She could be framed, like me! Oui, I'm...I'm sure of it! Anne wouldn't-"

"Shut up, Weise. Stop lying already. You know I'm the killer, you're such a bad actor! I told you to stay outside the dining room, obviously that means I went inside to prepare the crime!" Anne glared over to him, frowning coldly. "You're always so damn annoying, you know? You're a little shit who can't stop chasing after butterflies. Zip your pathetic mouth, will you?"

Weise blinked a few times, then biting his lip.

Wh...what's going on…?

"Uhg...you're always so _insufferable."_ The patisserie shook her head. "Eating my crepes all the time...asking for more...always coming to me for food...crepes, crepes, crepes! I hate you! If only the others didn't come back so soon, I would've slit your neck under the damn table!"

Weise covered his mouth, tearing up.

"Kimidori...what the fuck is wrong with you?!" The vigilante punched her podium in anger. "Quieres morir?!"

Anne began to laugh. "Oh...oh mother! Mother, can you see me now?! Haha! I've been surrounded by idiots!" She pointed to Weise. "I should thank you, Weise. If it weren't for your help, I couldn't have set up the whole party scheme that killed Neizami! It's all thanks to you! Isn't that great?! Aren't you happy?!"

"B...Because of...moi?" Weise asked.

"Distracting everyone with your little clothes-making clubhouse...setting up the whole party with me...I was finally able to get rid of that bitch! That murderous bitch!" Anne laughed again. "I was going to kill you, too! _You saw the whole thing!_ You watched _me_ push her off the balcony after everyone left the room! You watched the spear slam right through! You saw all those cream puffs splatter with blood! I had to get rid of you…" Anne felt at her cheek, composing herself. "But...alas...I ran out of time…"

The way Anne was putting emphasis to some of those words...

Weise looked down, his hands were shaking.

"If you feel remorse for them, Weise…" Anne leaned against her podium, arms folded. "Take your glove off."

"H...Hein?" He looked over to her.

"Don't you feel guilt...for being a key player in two deaths…?" Anne teased him. "Wouldn't it only be fair...if you died too?"

The fashion designer looked over to the glove on his left hand. "...I…"

"That's enough, Anne." Zraiko frowned. "Clearly there is no point to continuing this trial. You won't be dragging down Weise with you."

Weise's eyes were still fixed to the glove.

"The trial...it's over?" Anne tilted her head. "Oh my...is it truly the end?"

…

He's still looking at it…

"You just admitted to killing Otomaeda and manipulating Vayrne Not to mention, we already know you killed Fanorne as well. Terminamos el juicio ahora." Mei bitterly scowled.

…

"Oui…"

We all looked over to see Weise loosen his glove.

N...No…

"Weise, no!" I yelled at him. "Stop!"

"If I just take the glove off...will I be executed…? To die...in such a maniere cruelle...but…" He slowly looked up to me, his eyes...filled with despair. "...I...have to die. It's only fair…"

"Weise...don't do this, please…" I begged him, shaking my head.

"...I'm...I'm sorry, mon amie…" He closed his eyes. "...I don't deserve to live…"

"No, that's wrong."

Mest reached over to Weise, pulling him in for a tight hug. "Don't let her into your head, Weise...you're stronger than this…"

Weise looked up to Mest in surprise. "H...Hein…?"

"You couldn't have known it would turn out this way…" Mest patted him on the head. "You...you have to live for them. Not die for them."

The fashion designer's lip began to quiver. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he squeezed Mest. "...I...I…"

"Please...fix your glove." Mest nodded, patiently.

Although he was hesitant at first, Weise did as Mest asked of him. He looked down, silently.

"Aww...that's too bad…" Anne teased him. "How pathetic of you...coward…you don't have the balls! Pathetic! You're a dirty liar, you know? Filthy, filthy, filthy-!"

Then there was a loud _SLAP_ sound that echoed the room.

"...Seriously, Anne. What is wrong with you?" Fraize asked, frowning. "Estas loco...were you always like this?"

Frowning, Anne felt at the back of her head where she had been slapped. "...Who wants to know, sweety?"

"Don't call me your 'sweety.' No quiero that title from you." Fraize pointed to her. "Termina ahora."

Anne reached into her apron. "Oh...you want me to stop…?" She gave off a twisted smile as she pulled out a knife. "Oh, I'll stop...I'll stop after I kill you!"

She made the effort to lunge towards Fraize, but Mei reacted quickly and grabbed her by the ponytail. Pulling her back violently, Anne shrieked and dropped the knife.

W...What the hell...what the hell am I watching…?

"Execute this bitch ahora!" Mei glared towards Monobotto, still pulling on Anne's hair.

"No...I'm not going to accept this!" Anne screamed, pulling out another knife. "Not until...not until I…!"

Before Mei could disarm her again, Anne threw the knife across the room.

"H...Hein…?" Weise looked over to his shoulder, seeing the knife jammed in. His eyes widened before rolling back, his body then slowly falling backwards.

Mest quickly caught him, eyes twisting from panic to rage. "...What the hell, Anne? _**What the hell, Anne?!"**_

It was...the first time I've seen Mest lose composure. He was normally so quiet, and yet…

"Oh? Oh?" She felt at her apron. "My, my...isn't this fun? Isn't this killing game...fun? Oh...if only Mei didn't try to disarm me again...I wouldn't have missed his pretty little head…"

Wh...What the fuck is going on!?

"Stop-this-foolish-circus." Monobotto butted in. "Violence-in-the-trial-room-is-forbidden."

"Oh...are you going to execute me…?" Anne smiled, feeling at her cheek.

"Execution-is-if-the-blackened-is-found." Monobotto got out of its seat, rolling over to Weise. "Fools. The-trial-will-be-suspended." It sprouted out arms to pick up the fashion designer. "I-cannot-allow-for-such-a-foolish-death-over-a-broken-rule. This-was-quite-entertaining. However-I-cannot-allow-for-entertainment-to-violate-the-rules."

Kyohi gulped. "Hey...Monobotto, what are you saying?"

The bucket of bolts turned around. "Due-to-the-rules-being-violated-by-Anne-Kimidori-I-am-no-longer-obligated-to-remain-silent-over-the-identity-of-the-blackened." It pointed to her. "Anne-Kimidori-is-the-killer-of-Tikari-Fanorne."

With that...it rolled out of the room.

…

A silence. I...I couldn't even _begin_ to comprehend everything that unfolded in front of me. Anne went absolutely insane, she violated the rules…

And now...even Monobotto couldn't let that slide.

…

It only said Anne was the killer of Tikari...did it forget about Neizami as well?

I'm thinking too much about this...it's obvious Anne is the killer of both of them...right?

Sayino crossed her arms. "Hey...is this really okay? Are we just going to let the trial end now?"

"There's no reason to continue debating." Zraiko frowned. "We know who did it."

"Bitch…" Mei scowled.

…

Is this...the end…? Are we okay with this? Anne's the blackened...Monobotto even said so. Is...there even a point?

…

"No…" Riko raised a hand. "I believe we should continue."

"Huh?" Kyohi turned to her. "But we know who dunnit...why should we?"

"I would like to know the whole truth…" Riko held her hands together, looking down. "I'd...like to know everything that happened, and why…"

The tour guide felt at his neck, smiling. "Me quiero continuar también."

…

I…

"...I also...would like to continue." I closed my eyes, sighing. "...I want...to find the truth. I want to know everything." Clenching my fist, I frowned and looked over to the portraits of my friends. "I want to know why more of my friends died. Until then...I won't accept the trial ending as it is!"

"Hey, yeah." Kyohi nodded. "I want to know why Neizami and Tikari died. Until then...this trial can't end!"

"Clearly it seems...the continuation of this trial is important." Mest nodded.

Slowly, the entire mood of the trial room shifted over. From the shock of just moments before, we were all filled with a new confidence. A confidence...to make sure justice would be served.

Anne...you have no idea what storm is coming your way. I...will make sure of that.

I am determined...to make sure you pay for what you've done.

* * *

Hey, hey. There you are. You kept me waiting, you know.

Sorry. It was hard to sort things out.

Are you ready to begin your private lessons with me?

Don't call it that. It sounds really weird.

Apologies.

Before we begin, I want to confirm something with you.

Yeah?

Why did you use that fake name?

Fake name?

You know. You told everyone your name was Erito. Why is that?

Well I couldn't let anyone know who I was.

You looked like a completely different person. You sure fooled me.

Did I?

Hmm...not completely. While you can change your looks and your name, you can't change who you are underneath.

Ah.

Why did you chose the name Erito, if I may ask?

It is a name to define my confidence in my intellect.

I see.

You don't understand at all, do you?

I don't really care.

Then why did you ask?

You expected me to ask, that's all.

Ah.

So you aren't denying it.

Nope.

Am I going to need a fake name?

Do you want one?

Not really.

 **Hontōni?**

 **...Īe…**

 **Sūka.**

 **Yoku wakarimasen…**

Ah, then allow me to make a suggestion.

A suggestion?

Mhm, mhm. Now listen closely.

Alright, alright. What is it?

 **Watashi no namae o toru.**

...Hah. I didn't know you were one for jokes.

* * *

~Chapter Three, Class Trial Part One, End~


	19. Ball of the Blood Moon Trial 2

Continue the trial...yes, that's what we're going to do. I feel like there's much more that we need to talk about before I'll be satisfied.

"Hey, hey." Sayino crossed her arms. "If we're gonna continue, then what should we focus on right now?"

The hacker scratched his chin, looking around. "Since we already know Anne is the culprit, let's try to get answers out of her. I'd like to start with the reasoning for killing Tikari."

"Hmm, hmm?" Anne tilted her head. "My reasoning?"

"I agree." Mest nodded, crossing his arms. "Let's discuss this."

Seems like Anne isn't willing to tell us what she was planning. If I use some context clues, I think I'll be able to figure out what the truth behind killing Tikari would be…

 **Did Anne spend any time with Tikari before the party?**

Yeah...Anne and Tikari went to the Puzzle Room together. If I recall correctly, it might've been because Anne thought Tikari's talent would've helped…

 **Why would Tikari's talent be helpful in the puzzle?**

She was the Super-Highschool-Level Special Educator. Based on that, it would be fair to believe she would know a thing or two about creative thinking. After all, her talent deals with helping children of special needs...she would've been able to give another perspective.

 **Then why would Anne kill Tikari?**

Hmm...I feel like it's something else besides the motive. If I think about the prizes from the Puzzle Room, did Tikari have something that would be valuable?

 **The envelope.**

That's true. Tikari did have the envelope about _Danganronpa_ with her. But...did Anne have an actual interest in the envelope at all? I mean...she should've known Tikari had it, right?

Hmm...I think she did know, but chose to pretend she wasn't interested at the time.

 **Did Anne have an interest later on?**

While we were investigating Tikari's body, she and Sayino went through her belongings and found nothing on her person. Anne must've known Tikari had the letter on her at some point.

…

So that's it. Anne wanted to take the envelope from Tikari.

"Hey, Anne? By any chance, have you seen the envelope prize from the Puzzle Room?" I prompted her.

She blinked. "...You know about it?"

"That's besides the point." I advanced. "You were searching through Tikari's things after her murder. So tell me...the envelope was what you were looking for, right?"

She felt at her apron. "Maybe I was...maybe I wasn't…"

"Un momento." Mei tugged at her jacket. "Wouldn't Kimidori have just asked for la carta from Fanorne after the puzzle?"

That would make all the sense in the world if it weren't for one thing.

"No. She wouldn't have, Mei." I shook my head. "By this point, Anne had already lost her significant memory."

"Why would losing a significant memory...lead to murder?" Mest asked, crossing his arms. "Could it be...something to do with her psyche?"

We turned to Anne, who swayed her body back and forth.

"Oh, oh? Am I supposed to answer?" She smiled. "Hmm, hmm...no. I won't tell you. Not now, not any time soon."

That confirms it in my mind. It must've done something to her psyche. I don't know what she could've forgotten, but even if she won't spit it out...the motive played a role in Tikari's death.

"Hey, then can I ask something?" The motorcyclist tilted her head. "What was up with those tasks, then? Was it specifically a trap for Tikari?"

The patisserie nodded. "Mhm, mhm. I sent you three out so it didn't look like I was singling out Tikari."

"If I might ask, in that case…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "...What was your reasoning for sending out Mest, Mei, and myself over to check on them?"

 **What was the reason for sending out Zraiko's group?**

Well, Anne did say Fraize and I were...busy. Meanwhile Weise had vanished, and Kyohi was by himself.

Logically speaking, it must've been because...

"Anne wanted Tikari's body to be discovered. It's the only reason I can come up with." I nodded. "After all, three people is all you need."

Riko held her hands together, then looking off to the side. "The discovery of Tikari's body would have everyone clear out from the ballroom. It would give the opening needed to kill Neizami."

"Yeah. Nobody else would be around to see the crime. Well…" The hockey player glanced over to the empty podium. "Except for Weise."

Mest crossed his arms, reflectively. "He must've been a victim of circumstance."

The vigilante nodded. "Wrong place at the wrong time. Vayrne then was drugged, verdad? That is the consensus."

"I dunno about you guys, but that sounds a little weird." Sayino crossed her arms.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, confused.

The hacker then spoke up. "Sayino brings a valid point. What would've prevented Weise from running out from the room? Surely he would have fled the crime to get someone's attention. Unless he was involved with her death, anyway."

Not this again…

"That's not true, Zraiko." Kyohi frowned. "He might not be able to remember what happened, but that doesn't mean he killed her!"

"Obviously Kimidori is el traidor." Mei nodded.

"All I'm saying is that there is some sort of reason that prevented Weise from fleeing the crime." Zraiko adjusted his glasses.

Hmm...that's true. There's gotta be some kind of way to find this out. Maybe if we break it down into different steps…

"Perhaps we should discuss the location Weise was drugged in?" Riko offered. "If he was too far away from the door, Anne might have had the opportunity to catch up to him."

"That's a good idea, Riko." I nodded.

So we started up a small debate. After all, if we don't discuss something, we won't be getting anywhere.

"Weise was found by Kozaki under the table, right?" Kyohi felt at his left shoulder.

I nodded. "That's right. He was unconscious, his face smushed into a slice of cake."

" **Maybe that cake was laced with a drug that knocked him out?"** The motorcyclist felt the back of her head.

"But what would he be doing eating cake under the table?" The hacker asked, skeptically.

Sayino shrugged. "Dodgy, innit? But maybe that's something Weise would do?"

"Please, he's never eaten anything under the table before. No reason why he would start now." Zraiko dismissively waved a hand.

"Weise was drugged and then placed under the table. If he was eating that cake, maybe he was **already standing besides the table?"** Kyohi asked. "Then he would be slow to escape because he was eating, right?"

"I must disagree." Mest placed his index finger to his temple. "I believe **Weise must have been standing in close proximity to Anne at the time."**

"Pero Kimidori was killing Otomaeda! Por qué would Kimidori allow Vayrne to be nearby?" Mei asked, raising an eyebrow. "Creo que esta loco."

"Perhaps it wasn't intentional?" Riko looked to the side. "That...Anne did not notice him until it was too late?"

" **Then Weise could've been captured and forced to witness her murder!"** Sayino placed her hands at her hips.

"Umm...pero por qué Anne do that?" Fraize scratched the back of his head.

" _ **I think that's it!"**_ I pointed to Mest, holding the truth bullet _Mono-shift Room Layout._ "The only thing that would make sense is if Weise was close enough to Anne to quickly take action."

"If Weise was right by the door, he definitely would've had the chance to run free." Zraiko nodded, scratching his chin.

"Hey, guys…umm...I got a question!" Kyohi raised a hand. "We keep talking about drugs, but...where did Anne even get them from?"

…

That's a fair point. I'm honestly not sure.

"I-have-returned-to-you-gloriously-glorious-foolish-fools-!" Monobotto took a seat at its throne. "Are-we-ready-to-proceed-with-voting-time-? Great-! Now-then-cast-your-votes-for-"

"Just one second!" I raised a hand, turning to Monobotto.

It tilted its head in confusion. "Kozaki-Daisuke. What-are-you-doing-objecting-to-a-statement-outside-the-panic-debate-?"

"Wh?" I frowned, shaking it off. "Bucket of bolts, we're not ready to vote yet."

"In fact...we're ready for something else!" Sayino pumped a fist. "The...crumb debate!"

Monobotto's head tilted even more. "Scrum-debate."

"That's what I said." The motorcyclist crossed her arms.

"Fool." Monobotto placed its head back on its body. "If-you-wish-to-continue-then-I-suppose-I-cannot-stop-you. After-all-the-debate-scrum-is-a-fan-favorite-moment-for-any-trial-!"

"Espera. What are nosotros debating about?" Mei raised an eyebrow.

I looked down in concentration. "Where did Anne get the drugs from? Was it from the Puzzle Room...or another place?"

"That's too broad." Zraiko shook his head. "I think we can narrow it down."

"Allow-me-to-drop-these-two-answers." Monobotto spun around. "Let-us-begin-!"

"I said these were too broad-" The hacker tried to say.

…

Needless to say, Monobotto ignored him.

Without even being provided anything, our podiums all moved around to face each other. On my side were Zraiko, Fraize, and Mest. The other side had Sayino, Mei, Riko, and Kyohi.

Anne wasn't participating. Probably because she would know where the drugs came from. Her lips were sealed.

 **Where did Anne get the drugs from?**

 **Some other place in the Killing Odyssey -**

 **\- From the Puzzle Room prize**

 **Debate scrum, start!**

* * *

So these are our two options. I find it interesting how Monobotto's giving them out, especially considering Zraiko's complaint.

Interesting probably isn't the right word. Curious? No, it's not curious either.

It's strange. That's it. Downright strange, unlike itself.

I get that it no longer cares for Anne due to the rule violation she committed, but this just isn't Monobotto. It's not its style.

It usually taunts us, mocking us all to try and scramble to find the answers.

And yet…

No, now isn't the time to question things. We need to take this opportunity and maximize it.

"Alright. No hesitations now. Let's start this debate!" I nodded, trying to push myself forward. I was filled with a strong motivation I've never had before in these trials. I wanted to step up. I wanted to lead.

I wanted to lead for him. I wanted to bring justice for him.

I'm going to do everything I can to expose Anne's crime. I'm going to do it for you, Weise. I'm going to protect you, just like I promised. Just wait a little bit longer, okay?

"Time to find out where Anne got those drugs from." Sayino pumped a fist with confidence.

Riko held her hands together. "Than let us have the civilized debate."

"We'll debate however it goes down, hermana." Mei tugged her jacket, then looking around. "Listo?"

Mest silently gave a firm nod.

"Yeah. I'm ready." Kyohi nodded, taking in a quick breath.

"I-am-loving-this-energy-!" Monobotto hopped up and down. "Begin-your-debate-!"

"First things first." The motorcyclist crossed her arms. "Anne could've gotten those drugs from anywhere around this place. After all, maybe there are other secret rooms to find that she's keeping from us."

I took a turn. "I don't think that discredits the possibility of the drugs coming from the Puzzle Room as a prize. After all...Tikari told me they received access to the Shift Room items from our deceased friends."

"But none of them had a talent that would involve drugs at all." Kyohi shook his head. "It wouldn't make sense."

"Perhaps you only need to broaden your thinking…" Mest pressed an index finger to his forehead. "Don't take talent too literally."

"Yuuta was a fisherman. Kamiyaki was a cheerleader. Ingreis was an ice skater. Soro was a cinematographer." Sayino shook her head. "No, I can't see any way to spin drugs into them at all."

"Recall Kozaki's Shift Room." The hacker adjusted his glasses. "Despite lacking a talent, there is a room tailored for him specifically. It may be based on the life the individual experienced."

Riko worriedly looked to the side. "Do you mean to say our friends were hiding such a truth from us?"

"No creo que this is true. After all, estamos hablando about a sleeping drug." Fraize looked to the side. "Not a drug for euphoria."

"But why would any of them have sleeping drugs at all?" Kyohi felt at his neck. "It must've come from somewhere else. Maybe Monobotto slipped them to Anne?"

Fraize shook his head. "No esta posible. Recuerda la regla? Anne could only request one item for murder."

"Pero está incorrecto que Kimidori chose to request the drug?" Mei asked, skeptically.

I glanced over to Monobotto. "The only thing that Anne could've asked for was the coating. After all, it was used in a motive. I think it's fair to say only Monobotto would be capable of possessing it and distributing it." I looked back to the others. "That means Anne must've found

the drug on her own."

"If you insist these drugs came from the Shift Room prize, then who would it have belonged to?" Riko asked, trying to push our reasoning.

"I'd say it is certainly possible to have come from Soro's belongings." Zraiko nodded. "After all, wouldn't a spy movie involve something like that?"

"But how will we know for certain Anne _did_ get the drugs from any of the Shift Room items?" Kyohi felt at his right shoulder.

"I suppose we will have to probe her until we can get a clear answer." Mest felt at his left wrist.

The four of us joined together in unison in order to deliver our message loud and clear. " _ **Anne had to have gotten the drugs from the Puzzle Room prize! This is our answer!"**_

"Excellent-! Excellent-!" Monobotto cheered. "Fantastic-! This-was-probably-your-most-triumphant-moment-yet-you-fools-! Majestic-! Valliant-! Just-look-at-the-views-!" It then looked off to the side. "Oh. It-seems-you-are-unable-to-see-the-views. No-matter." It turned back to us. "Let-us-continue."

With all the podiums returned to their regular positions, we all looked over to Anne expectantly.

"So, Anne?" Kyohi frowned lightly. "Is it true? You...you really got them from the Puzzle Room prize?"

Anne swayed her body back and forth while humming a tune to herself.

"Kimidori, don't ignore la pregunta." Mei crossed her arms.

"Hmm?" The patisserie smiled. "Oh, I was just thinking how wonderful watching that debate was."

Gh...don't let her get into your head, Kozaki. This is the time to advance.

I gotta push forward with everything I've got!

"Well, Anne? How about it?" Zraiko asked, frowning. "Did you get the drugs from the Puzzle Room prize?"

Feeling at her apron, Anne giggled. "I got many, many things from the Puzzle Room prize. The wiring was Yuuta's fishing line. The knife? Also from Yuuta's room. The spears? Yuuta's room again. Those silly tools you were all wondering about? Soro's room." Anne then felt at her cheek. "Everything I needed for my crime...was given to me. Oh, oh, oh...how wonderful, how easy it was!"

Hmm...

We need to go over the evidence that just doesn't feel right. All the things we need to cover in more detail. If Anne is claiming everything came from the Puzzle Room prize, then...what doesn't fit?

"Ah...tengo una pregunta." Fraize scratched the back of his head. "About the clothes."

The clothes?

"Hmm?" Anne raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. "I'm not the resident fashion designer, dear. I won't be of much help."

Skeptically, Fraize frowned lightly. "Hmm...but you told him the clothes you would want everyone to wear, verdad?"

Anne tilted her head to the side. "I might've had something to do with that."

What's Fraize going on about here?

"Even the shoes?" Fraize looked to his feet. "The shoes...and the prints they would leave behind on the balcony?"

"What are you rambling about?" Anne grew cold.

"Hmm...do the zapatos happen to...change size?" Fraize pointed at Anne. "Porque the prints I saw on the balcony...some of the prints that came from your shoes...were smaller as they got closer to Neizami."

"I believe that is because she rushed forward." Zraiko explained. "It would give the momentum to push Neizami off. Logically when you run, your prints are smaller because of the way you step onto the ground: Not with your whole foot."

But the tour guide didn't seem to be satisfied. He looked away, arms crossed. He was concentrating deeply.

I wish I could dip into his mind to find out what's bothering him about this…

Those footprints on the balcony. There's definitely something going on with them.

* * *

"If we may go over the items used in the crime one more time…" Riko held her hands together. "Anne used a multitude of items from the Puzzle Room prize. The only item that came outside was the coating for the fishing line, correct?"

"Isn't there a problem with the coating?" Sayino asked. "It would make the wire indestructible, right? So how would it have broken?"

"Allow-me-to-explain. Think-of-the-coating-on-the-wire-like-optical-fiber." Monobotto beeped into the conversation. "Incredibly-strong-to-hold-a-great-weight. However. If-it-is-bent-it-will-break-with-ease."

The wire was already bent in a way to run along the ceiling and support the chandelier, so once the wire was pulled into the knife from opening the door with high pressure...that would've been the edge needed to break the wire.

"So then..." Mest crossed his arms. "Now that we know where all the pieces of evidence fit...we can build a timeline for the crime."

"If anything is certain, I believe the tipping point is the immediate trigger." Zraiko turned to me. "Well, Kozaki? Do you agree?"

Let me give this a quick think-over.

 **What was something that provided motivation?**

The motivation for Tikari seemed to be how Anne wanted to retrieve the _Danganronpa_ envelope from her. For Neizami...it seems Anne wanted to eliminate her for being involved in Ingreis's murder.

That would mean the memory motive isn't related to these murders, right?

 **Is there anything from the memory motive that would drive Anne's crime?**

As I can recall...Anne lost a significant memory. That was the initial cause of her murders. But...I can't help but think we've overlooked something…

 **What else about the memory motive could be the immediate trigger?**

Ah, I remember! Anne took that drug, didn't she? Since it was after she forgot her significant memory, it would've probably pushed her to begin preparing the murder straight away.

And that...was the point of no return for her.

"Are you talking about how Anne took that drug to block losing another memory?" I checked with the hacker.

"Exactly that." He nodded. "As Monobotto explained, taking the drug will raise your adrenaline. It also...will make you more likely to commit murder."

So that's how it went…

I nodded. "Alright, I see now. Once Anne took that drug, she began to prepare the murder. She took items from the Puzzle Room prize, then asked for the coating-"

"What? Are you _still_ saying I got the coating from Monobotto?" The patisserie felt at her apron. "Wow. I can't believe how stupid all of you are."

"S-Stupid?" Kyohi asked. "Why is that?"

Anne laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Fools. I got the drugs from Monobotto. That's all there is to it!"

"Don't-you-dare-call-them-fools-you-foolish-fool." Monobotto beeped, sounding like it was upset. "Only-I-can-do-that."

"Fools! Fools! You all are just a basket of idiots!" Anne wildly laughed.

Gh…

Anne has gone absolutely mad.

I've gotta put a stop to this.

"If we're just a bunch of idiots...then prove it." I crossed my arms. "Prove it...in a one-on-one with me."

Anne felt at her cheek. "With you? My, my...what an honor…"

"It-looks-like-you-are-going-to-engage-in-a-Truth-Bullet-Quick-Draw." Monobotto hopped up and down. "Oh-joy-! Let-us-see-who-shall-prevail-!"

I can do this. All I have to do is prove Anne chose to request the coating instead of the drugs.

Come on, Kozaki. You can do this.

Life points loaded and ready to go, I faced off with Anne.

 **What is the rule that concerns this matter?**

 _Killing Game Rules_ was the bullet of my choice. After all, Monobotto's rule was that the killer could only ask for one item.

 **Do you need to go through with murder to request the item?**

...Huh?

I mean...no. No, you don't. After all, yesterday at the party-

Anne shot me with a bullet. It said no.

Damn, I wasn't fast enough. No matter, I can rebound.

 **Which crime was set up first?**

That was... Neizami's crime, right?

I made that as my selection, and I was correct.

 **What is the item that Anne requested from Monobotto?**

I picked up the truth bullet _Wire Coating._

…

But it...hurt me.

I was wrong.

I...was wrong?

We were wrong…?

Anne...didn't request the coating?

I took another hit.

Another.

Each bullet that struck me caused me to realize the truth.

Anne wasn't lying.

If Neizami's crime was planned first, then...Anne would've asked for the drugs while preparing...

In this twisted reality I found myself in, now I can see that something was going on behind the scenes.

I've been thinking about this the wrong way for the whole time. Anne didn't get the drugs from the Puzzle Room prize at all.

That means the only place that would make sense would be if she received it from Monobotto.

But...then how would she have gotten the coating…?

"Now do you see?!" Anne laughed, feeling victorious. "I didn't get those silly things from the Puzzle Room at all!"

Everyone else looked to me with worry.

"K-Kozaki...are you okay?" Riko asked, holding her hands together.

Kyohi tried to show some level of confidence. "Hey, everyone makes mistakes sometimes! Even Kozaki!"

"Yo puedo kick her ass." Mei frowned, gritting her teeth. "Lemme at her!"

No...no.

"No." I shook my head. "I see now...what's really going on."

"The hacker raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Because Anne asked for the drugs and not the coating...and because of the rule that only one item can be requested…

"Anne." I looked over to her. "The truth is...you had an accomplice, or am I wrong?"

* * *

"An accomplice?" Anne asked, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"

"You got someone to help you with your crime, didn't you?" I asked, frowning. "Someone you knew you could manipulate and bend to your will.

"Oh?" She asked, feeling at her cheek. "You mean...someone I told exactly I was going to do? Someone who knew what was going to happen?"

"Exactly that." I nodded.

She looked around for a while before looking back to me. "And...who are you saying that person is?"

…

I should've known better. It's the only thing that makes sense, though. Anne couldn't have done this on her own. She had to have had someone else with her to request something else from Monobotto. If Anne asked for the chloroform, lying to _this person_ that she had asked for something else...that means the person she forced to work with her asked for the coating.

And that person is…

"Weise." I sighed. "You forced Weise to work with you."

"Hold on, Kozaki." Sayino crossed her arms. "I thought Weise's involvement was unintentional? That...she tricked him?"

"No...he must've been aware of this. And by aware…" I pointed to Anne. "I mean you coerced him into working with you!"

Anne swayed her body lightly. "Mmm I did, did I? My…" She showed a twisted smile. "He's so cute when he squeals in fear. The way he begs for his life. Oh, but I was going to kill him anyway. What a shame... **I wasn't allowed to…"**

" _ **Hold on a minute!"**_ I frowned. "Not allowed to? What is that supposed to mean? I thought you said you ran out of time."

"Ah, did I tell you that?" She giggled. "That was a lie, dear. In truth...there's a rule that stopped me."

"I-suppose-the-jig-is-up-!" Monobotto exclaimed. "Yes-! There-is-a-special-rule-all-killers-must-follow. There-cannot-be-more-than-two-victims-at-a-time-!"

"I needed Weise alive for my plan." Anne smiled. "So I was not able to kill him. Ah, such a shame…"

"Why did you need him alive?" I asked her, trying to draw out more information.

She shook her head. "My secret."

Gh...I'm not feeling good about this at all. There's a reason why she's hiding this. I've gotta find some way to break through. Think, damn it!

" _ **I'll get the truth out of you, got it?!"**_

"My, my. You don't believe me?" Anne felt at her apron. "I used Weise as an tool in my crime, that's all there is to it."

I frowned, looking at her in the eyes. "No, I know for certain you're lying about this. There must've been a reason you kept Weise alive besides what you're letting on with Monobotto's rule!"

"And why do you think this? It looks like you're just throwing cupcakes against the wall to see if they stick, dear. There's nothing else to it!" Anne shook her head.

"If you wanted to get rid of Weise, you could've chosen not to kill the other two. There's something else to this. You're hiding his involvement in your crime."

"Hiding? Dear, you already know I forced him to help me set up the party. I made him make the mask Tikari would wear, and I forced him to accept all the planning I came up with!" Anne pointed at me. "There's nothing else Weise was involved with!"

"Except that's where you're lying!" I took in a deep breath. "I know now...there's a piece of evidence we misunderstood from before that will reveal what you've been hiding!"

"Evidence? Evidence?!" She laughed. "Oh, you have evidence?! Ridiculous! You have no proof at all!"

…

Yes, I do. And...this evidence is…

…

Could this evidence...could it be…?

Damn it! If this is true, then that means…!

…

" _ **I won't look away!"**_

"The truth is...those footprints on the balcony show…" I frowned. "Three people were up there."

"T-Three people?!" Sayino was shocked. "But didn't the footprints show that Anne pushed Neizami off the balcony?"

I looked over to Fraize, sort of as though I was looking to confirm my theory with him. He nodded back, slowly.

…

"No, Sayino…" I gulped. "That's what Anne wanted us to think. The...the truth is…"

I-I can't say it! Damn it, damn it!

Zraiko was right all along. He didn't kill Tikari, but...but he…

There...there has to be something that we can do! There has to be...there has to be!

"Monobotto, un momento por favor." Fraize turned to the robot. "If there are two different culprits...you said there's a special rule, right?"

"I-did-say-that." The bucket of bolts nodded.

"Tell us what the rule is, then." Zraiko pointed to Monobotto. "What's this special rule?"

It spun around for just a moment. "In-the-case-of-there-being-multiple-murders-only-the-blackened-will-be-executed. The-blackened-is-the-one-who-killed-first. That-is-the-special-rule."

Anne's malicious demeanor vanished.

I...I knew it!

That's what she was planning all along!

"Anne, the truth is…" I turned to her. "You forced Weise to kill Neizami!"

The entire room grew silent.

…

"...And that's not all. You didn't want us to know about that because you were going to take credit for both murders." I nodded. "Because even if only the first blackened matters, if we vote wrong, we'll be punished. That means...if we voted you for both killings...we'd all die."

"Correction." Monobotto bumped in. "Anne-Kimidori-would-survive-with-Weise-Vayrne. But-yes. You-must-vote-for-both-killers-correctly. Not-just-the-blackened."

…

Does...does Weise even know?

Well...he's going to find out…

Damn...damn it, Weise…

I'm relieved he's not going to be executed, but…

"Hold on. But...then how was Anne violating the rule?" Sayino raised a hand. "That would mean both she and Weise got one kill, right? That's not two people on her name."

…

 **Why would killing Weise have violated the rule?**

...I think we must've overlooked something. When Monobotto told us the rule, it said there could not be more than two victims at a time.

 **Does that mean the two victims came from the same blackened?**

…

No, no it doesn't. The rule only states there can't be more than two victims. It doesn't matter if the victims are from the same killer.

"No, Sayino. Anne would've violated the rule. Simply because...it doesn't matter who's responsible for the two victims." I felt at my right arm. "...Anne and Weise have one kill. One plus one is two...and that's the cap. Any more is a violation."

A short silence.

"So...does that mean...Weise will not be executed?" Kyohi asked, feeling at his shoulder.

"No. Weise-Vayrne-will-resume-his-time-in-the-killing-game-after-his-treatment-is-complete." Monobotto replied. "Just-executing-him-spoils-the-fun-!"

"The...the fun?" Mei frowned. "Por favor, what about this would be fun?"

Monobotto spun around in excitement. "Why-isn't-it-obvious-? A-killer-will-be-walking-among-you! If-you-thought-Neizami-Otomaeda's-case-was-bad-oh-boy! Weise-Vayrne-has-blood-on-his-hands-! Perhaps-this-will-cause-someone-to-kill-him-! Perhaps-he-will-kill-again-!"

"St...Stop it! Don't talk about Weise like that!" I pointed at the mechanical mayhem. "Anne forced him to kill Neizami!"

"Esta verdad. The footprints show Anne was standing behind Weise at the balcony." Fraize nodded. "Fue confused because los zapatos had the same sole design...but their shoe sizes were slightly different. Parece que...Anne pushed Weise forwards into Neizami."

Riko held her hands together, looking down. "That...would cause Weise to push Neizami off the balcony."

I clenched my fist, fearing the burden that was now placed onto the fashion designer's shoulders. This was bullshit! So, so much bullshit! Pushing Weise into Neizami...and _he_ gets credit for the kill?! That's…

I can't...I can't even describe how _angry_ that makes me. Weise never wanted any of this. He was taken advantage of, lied to, and hurt. Hurt so, so badly. Why? Why do something like this?! Why force blood onto his hands he never wanted?!

...

"Through Weise, you had Neizami killed. That's the truth of this case." I frowned. "You forced this upon him. You forced a kill onto his name."

Anne smiled, feeling at her cheek. "Looks like you caught me. Yes. I has Weise come with me to the balcony with Neizami. He had taken the memory blocking drug just recently, so I thought he would be more willing to kill her. However...it seems I was wrong...he resisted. I had no choice...but to push him forwards."

…

An uneasy silence.

"That seems to have wrapped up everything." Zraiko crossed his arms, adjusting his glasses.

Weise...how is he going to feel once he finds out about this?

He...he won't be able to take it…

Should I...lie to him…?

...Lie…

No...there's no point. I'm certain once he wakes up, he'll remember everything.

…

I'll...just have to make sure he won't wake up alone…

…

Not now. That's a problem for later.

…

It's time to put an end to this class trial.

" _ **This is how it all fits together!"**_

 **\- ACT 1 -**

"I believe the place to start would be with the motive. Monobotto announced that after random periods of time, a student would be selected to lose a memory of any kind. It used me as an example, causing me to lose a critical memory to demonstrate the abilities of this motive. After that, we all went our own ways in the hopes of living peacefully...counting down the time until we all would've lost our memories completely. However...it never turned out in this way. The first killer, or should I say the blackened, lost a critical memory that drove them to murder. With that, the blackened began to strategize their plan…"

 **\- ACT 2 -**

"After losing a critical memory, the blackened took the special drug that caused a strong desire to kill in an attempt to prevent further memory loss. With this motivation, the blackened had a strong urge to murder Neizami. However, the blackened wanted to create a murder that would make things much more obscure to have us all vote wrong. Asking to meet with Tikari at the Puzzle Room, the blackened began to plan out the steps of the crime, intending to use Tikari to their advantage to get Neizami killed. Additionally, Tikari gained possession of the _Danganronpa_ envelope, something that caught the blackened's eye. The blackened was ready to commit murder. With the items from the Puzzle Room prize, the blackened prepared their complex crime. This included creating the deadly tower of cream puffs to hide the murder weapon of Neizami, as well as requesting the special drug that would be saved for later. However...even with everything the blackened had access to as the Puzzle Room prize, they wouldn't be able to pull it off on their own. That's why this blackened had...an accomplice."

 **\- ACT 3 -**

"In truth, the blackened had tied a firm knot around the accomplice before going to the Puzzle Room with Tikari. They just had yet to reveal that the second killer, or should I say...they grayed, was helping with a murder scheme. Manipulating them into believing they were setting up the party together, the blackened waited for just the right time to reveal themselves and threaten the grayed into helping to carry out the murder. After the grayed finished making an outfit for the blackened at the party, the two went to the dining room to work on 'party preparations.'"

 **\- ACT 4 -**

"It was there in the dining room where the blackened would threaten the grayed into cooperating. Fearful for their life, the grayed agreed to help with the murder scheme. By the blackened's demand, the grayed requested the special coating used from the handcuffs motive, then stayed outside to wait. After set up was completed, the grayed was forced along with the blackened as preparations continued. The blackened likely threatening the grayed to act as if nothing was wrong...or else…"

 **\- ACT 5 -**

"Once the party began, the blackened continued to insist the grayed act natural. With the party in full swing, the blackened asked Sayino, Riko, and Tikari to complete tasks for the party. Giving out specific locations, Tikari would walk into the dining room and be killed by the trap. After waiting for enough time, the blackened sent out Mest, Mei, and Zraiko to check on them. Well...there's a reason for this. It takes three people to officially discover a body. With the announcement going off, everyone thought the murder had finished...when in reality it was only just beginning."

 **\- ACT 6 -**

"With everyone else now out of the ballroom, the blackened asked Neizami to come up to the balcony with them and the grayed. Neizami might've been confused, even worried. However...the grayed would be forced to lie and reassure her it wouldn't be long. So...they went up to the balcony. The grayed was pressured multiple times by the blackened to kill Neizami. However...they couldn't. They didn't want to hurt their friend, even if defying the blackened would get them in trouble. Unfortunately for them...the blackened wouldn't allow for this. The whole purpose of the plan was to create an opening to kill Neizami. And well...they weren't going to let the grayed stop them now. With no other choice, the blackened pushed the grayed into Neizami, causing her to fall over the balcony and to her death. The grayed...didn't want this at all. They never did...it was forced upon them...and now...they're burdened with it."

 **\- ACT 7 -**

"With Neizami dead and not a lot of time on their hands, the blackened used the sleeping drug from Monobotto to knock the grayed unconscious. Monobotto spun the memory roulette...and wiped the grayed's memory of the crime in the ballroom. Hiding the grayed under the table, the blackened removed the spear that skewered Neizami and disassembled it, hiding the pieces in the largest cake to be disguised as supports. With that all done, the blackened went to look for Sayino and Riko to blend into the crowd, acting as if nothing at all happened in the Mono-shift Room. None of us...could ever have expected things to turn out in this way…"

" **The truth of the case is bitter, more sour than anything I've ever tasted before. Anne Kimidori, the Super-Highschool-Level Patisserie, killed Tikari and forced Weise Vayrne, the Super-Highschool-Level Fashion Designer, to kill Neizami!"**

...I did it. I've covered everything.

…

But even so...it's still impossible to believe…

…

I should be happy. Weise won't be executed. It's okay...this is okay…

Right?

No...it's not okay…

He told me...how scared he was. He told me that he learned how the people watching us wanted him to kill to escape. Now...he's killed someone…

And he won't escape, but he won't die either. He truly is...in a gray area.

"I can't believe you've done this, Anne…" Sayino scratched the back of her head. "Forcing Weise to murder Neizami...and you've snapped like a twig, haven't you?"

Anne didn't respond.

"Don't bother." The hacker adjusted his glasses, shaking his head. "We won't gain anything from talking to her about this."

"Agreed…" Mest felt at his left wrist. "This trial...is over."

…

"Please-cast-your-votes-first-for-the-killer-of-Tikari-Fanorne." Monobotto instructed.

I did as prompted, without much hesitation.

"Now-please-cast-your-votes-for-the-killer-of-Neizami-Otomaeda." The bucket of bolts instructed in a more...teasing manner.

…

I don't want to do this. Even now. Even when I know the truth...I can't…

But I have to.

Weise, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. If only you said something to me at the party. If only you weren't trying to bury that terrible truth under a pile of sweets…

I would've done something. I'm...I'm sure…

Damn it all...just damn it all! I've failed...I failed to protect you...it's my fault…

...I'm sorry.

 **CLASS TRIAL, END.**

* * *

The trial...this hellish trial…

It's over.

I don't think I've ever been so relieved. Relieved to see…

There will be justice.

I don't...I don't want there to be an execution. I don't want Anne to die. If...if only we could...just send her away. Far away, away from all of us. On a secluded island even!

Just...don't kill her…

…

"Will you finally tell us the reason for this?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms and frowning. "The reason for such stupid killings?"

Anne tilted her head slightly. "Oh?"

"The memory that was taken from you is what caused this." Mest pointed to her. "...How would that memory...amount to this?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if years of therapy just disappeared, you'd probably snap too!"

Th...Therapy...is this about…?

"Is this about your mother's death?" I asked her, trying to make some connection.

"My mother's _murder_ you mean?" She felt at her cheek. "Hey, hey...if your mother was stabbed to death in front of you, would you snap? Would you pick up a knife and stab the killer? Would you stab and stab and _stab and stab and stab and stab?"_ She giggled. "Stab the killer of your mother? Stab his mother? Stab and stab? I've stabbed so many people, so...so many! What does stabbing fifteen more people mean for me?" She shook her head. "But it was against the rules. I couldn't kill all of you outside the trial...so I figured...I'd kill you all through the trial instead and escape…"

...So that's what this is.

"What about your father?" Riko asked, worriedly. "You asked how your father was doing back when Monobotto was taking questions, did you not? Do you worry for him?"

Anne's madness calmed for what seemed like only a little. "...My father is too soft. He deserves better...so much better…I wanted to go home to him..."

…

"Better than filth like me…" She felt at her apron. "Filth...hehe...filthy filthy filthy…That's why I forced Weise to kill Neizami instead of doing it myself. If I killed both of them, you would've voted correctly…" She looked down. "Well...even now, you still did vote correctly. I suppose it will be I who gets executed instead. My, my…"

Kyohi frowned lightly. "Why Weise specifically? Just because he was naive?"

The patisserie shook her head. "He told me about how the audience wanted him to kill and escape...I was simply doing him a favor. He didn't have the heart to go through it himself." She smiled, lightly. "When you think about it...Weise couldn't die from this, no matter what."

…

If we had voted wrong, Anne and Weise would've escaped together. And now that we've voted right, only Anne will be executed.

…

It's an immunity. A sick, twisted immunity…

Anne was screaming out how much she hated Weise...but...is that really true?

Does that mean this whole time...Anne was planning to kill us? This whole time, she wanted to sacrifice us to escape?

She...she had us all fooled by her false sweet nature...she cooked us meals and took care of us…I never would've thought…

But...but that can't be right! There has to be something more to this. After all...her friendship with Yuuta...the time we all spent together…

"Yo, I wanna ask." Sayino placed her hands at her hips. "Weise forgot what happened during the party...but he should've known everything beforehand. Why didn't he say Anne killed Tikari right off the bat?"

"I believe she had a lasting impact…" Mest felt at his left wrist. "Keeping him silent."

"Even in the trial, he was acting just like Anne wanted him to." I looked down. "And because of his acting...she got sick of him and snapped…"

"...Hey, Anne…?" Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "Do you...regret what you've done?"

She paused for a moment. "No."

"N-No?" Sayino was surprised. "But...but you must've remembered your therapy, right? After you saw Tikari's body, Monobotto must've-"

"Oh, it did." She shook her head. "But just remembering therapy isn't going to change how I feel."

"How...you feel?" I asked, gulping. "Then...do you hate them? Neizami and Tikari...even Weise…"

"My, my..." Anne smiled, feeling at her cheek. "Neizami had to die. That bitch wasn't pure anymore. I can't allow for impurities to live...and Tikari. Being a suspect of Yuuta's murder, she was tainted as well. And poor little Weise…" She laughed. "I was only trying to do him a favor, but he forced me to push him forward. What a fool he is! If he kept his mouth shut, we could've escaped! It would've been easy! Oh, it's so easy! So easy! So-"

Fraize slapped Anne in the back of the head. "Hey...necesitas terminar ahora. Comprendes?"

But Anne was still laughing. A devolved, cruel humor. She thought all of this was funny. She thought our friends were...were nothing. Funny, is it funny?

 _Are their deaths funny? Is our suffering funny?_

 _ **Is this whole game funny?!**_

I found myself unable to say anything more. I was angry...just...so damn angry. The way Anne was acting...treating our friends like toys...they had lives. They had lives and loves, people to go home to! And yet...she didn't care. She didn't give a flying fuck. She laughed at them...she spat on them…

…

"Hmm, hmm…" She swayed her body back and forth, smiling. It was like she didn't even care she would be executed. "I suppose things are coming to a close...though, I have just one teensie thing to ask you."

I frowned, crossing my arms. "I'm not taking any requests from...a killer like you."

"It'll only take a second of your time…" She felt at her apron, smiling sweetly. She took a few steps towards me before stopping. "If I recall correctly, you mentioned the envelope during the trial. Do you have it?"

"Uhh…" I scratched the back of my head, not wanting to answer her. "Why are you asking…?"

"Hmm, hmm...no reason." She felt at her cheek, turning away. "No reason, no cares…"

"That sounds like a clear lie." I stepped forward. "Just tell me you have an interest in it. What? You want to see what's inside before you die?"

She tilted her head, watching me come closer. "Oh?"

I stopped before her. "...If it means bringing Tikari, Neizami, and Weise justice...I refuse to let you see what's inside."

She looked down, acting as though it was terrible news. "My, my…"

"So you do care." I squinted my eyes.

She giggled, lightly. "Don't you, as well?"

I looked to the side. Maybe...it's because she wants to know about the history of this show. This show where people kill each other for the entertainment of the audience.

Perhaps she fears...her father is being entertained.

Anne took off the ribbon from her hair, allowing for her hair to fall and run along her back. "Perhaps I've grown out of touch in reality, haven't I?" Her smile was sad as she looked to the ribbon. "I never meant to deceive you all. At the time when my therapy still lasted...I thought of us as friends. So...I cooked for you all. Perhaps...we really were friends. If that is the case…" She looked up to me and handed me the ribbon. "As someone who was your friend...please take this."

…

Anne's been jumping around all over, changing her story again and again. I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know who Anne Kimidori is anymore.

I wish I could deny all of this. To believe that Anne was still the kind, benevolent patissiere I knew her to be. But...at the end of the day…

"Anne...who are you?" I asked her, taking the ribbon.

She tilted her head, taking a while before coming up with an answer. "I know to me, Anne is a completely different person than who she is to you. Your Anne was friendly, sweet, and cheerful. My Anne...even I don't know everything about her. And now, it seems I'll never have the chance to know at all.

I held the ribbon in the palm of my hand then closing my eyes. "...I won't forgive you, Anne. But...I'll take it with me. I'll take this, all of this."

"Then please...take it with you beyond the grave." She whispered.

Before I could react, Anne lunged at me with the force of her body, stabbing a knife into my abdomen. It felt cold...my whole body froze up. I could hear voices screaming at me. I could feel people pulling me away…

…

I felt weak...I felt myself slipping…

…

Is this...how it feels...to die…?

...I...I'm really...an idiot…

I should've...known better…

…

So...this...is it…

…

I'm sorry...Mom...Dad...

* * *

I woke up with the sun's rays shining through my window, my alarm ringing lightly. My sister Annette slowly walked over my bed to shake my shoulder. "Hey. Good morning, brother."

Yawning lightly, I sat up straight and climbed out of bed. "Good morning."

"Are you ready for your first day?" She reached over to turn off the alarm.

I stretched my arms out, taking in a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

We both sneaked out from the bedroom, careful not to wake up any of my other siblings. Especially not to wake up my mother. She doesn't know about this, and if she finds out...she'll be filled with worry.

"Quickly, brother." Annette passed me the backpack filled with everything I needed for work I prepared the night before. "I slipped in ten euros, so you can buy breakfast. Now hurry before mother sees."

"Annette, you didn't have to." I didn't want to accept my sister's hard-earned money.

"Go already!" She pushed me to the bathroom where she hid a change of clothes for me last night.

I made do to change into my new uniform and fix my hair, also brushing my teeth. Carefully opening the door, I put on my backpack and nodded. "Alright, ready."

My sister took off her necklace that had a small whistle and handed it to me. "Don't lose this, okay? It's a good luck charm."

I nodded again, tying it around my wrist like a bracelet. "Got it."

After looking around, my sister gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and sent me out of the house. "Now hurry, don't be late to your first day."

The reason we did this in secret was because of mother. If she knew I got a job for myself at only the age of fifteen, she would never forgive me.

But we need the money. My family is desperate...and an opportunity came up that I couldn't refuse.

I'm going to be assisting a tour around the city, with the meeting place being at the Sagrada Familia. The pay is not going to make us suddenly rich, but...it should be enough to bring food to the table.

The walk was hectic, cars flew down the streets as any other day. So many accidents, and yet nobody seems to care. If you make one misstep...let's just say it won't be a pretty picture to look at.

The Sagrada Familia is always wonderful to look at. The magnificent architecture has persisted for years and years even with the city developing beyond its renovations. The piece of history truly stands out in this ever-changing city.

I stepped inside the employees only area, looking around for an instructor to point me to where I needed to go.

I'm going with group B, right?

After finding a small break room, I knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to greet me.

The door opened, an instructor holding a cup of coffee looked at me in surprise. "Oh? Can I help you?"

I nodded. "I'm here for work."

"...Oh, hey. You're the new guy, aren't you?" The instructor smiled, extending a hand. "You're...Ramón, right?"

I shook his hand, then correcting him. "My name is Fraize."

* * *

I don't know what came over me, but I immediately reacted. It might've been because I felt the rush of urgency to save my friend, it might've been some other reason. I just knew I had to do something...and I let my emotions drive me forward rather than my mind.

Just like back then with my father...I wouldn't stand by and watch someone important to me be attacked. I wouldn't be a silent bystander.

I always had to do something...I guess that's never changed about me.

Tackling Anne to the floor, I wrapped my hands around her neck and slammed her head against the ground.

I didn't want it to come to this…

…

"G...Gh…" She tried to reach up to me, but I wouldn't let her breathe.

"Stop! Stop this! Kimizai, she's already going to die!" Mei grabbed my right shoulder, shaking it. "Look at me, damn it!"

I turned to Mei, shaking my head.

"You don't need her blood on your hands, Kimizai! Listen to me, fuck!" Mei tried to get me to back off. "Get off the bitch!"

Taking in a few heavy breaths, I slowly released Anne and felt at my face.

"Please, help him!" Riko begged to Monobotto. "There must be something you can do to save him!"

I slowly turned to see my friend laying on the ground, his head resting on Riko's thighs. He's still breathing.

"Y-You can't let him die!" Kyohi frowned, pointing to the robot. "If you do, there'll be a third victim! That's against the rules! So...so do something!"

"I-will-see-what-can-be-done…" Monobotto sprouted a set of arms. "Hand-over-Kozaki-Daisuke."

Riko allowed for the robot to pick up Kozaki. With that, it swiftly exited the room.

…

Please...please...have a healthy recovery. I know you've endured much more than this.

…

"You idiots!" Anne swayed her body back and forth. "Can't you see?! It's better to die than continue this game! I'm trying to be merciful!"

I couldn't stand her sick, twisted attitude any longer. It reminded me too much of my pitiful, sorry excuse for a father. I turned around and kicked her clear in the chest, knocking her back. "Enough out of you!"

Mei grabbed me by the arm and dragged me far away from Anne. Despite her short stature, she was incredibly strong. "Kimizai, enough. I'm serious. You'll actually kill her if you don't back off."

"She killed Tikari, used Weise to kill Neizami, and tried to kill Kozaki!" I was filled with anger. "No...no! She has to pay for it!"

"She will, she will." Mei shook me, lightly. "Calm down. Alright? We don't need another fucking murder. Just watch her execution, alright?"

…

I covered my face again. She deserves so much worse.

It sounds cruel...to wish execution upon someone. So, so cruel…

And yet...everyone in the room was sharing this very sentient. We all believed that Anne deserved it...that she needed to meet a fate crueler than those of the lives she mercilessly ended.

I was angry. I don't think I've ever felt so angry for the longest time. I was always trying to be the one others could find comfort in. I wanted to be the person people could go to when they needed to vent, when they needed _someone to be there._

…

I wanted to kill her. I wanted to take her head and bash it into the ground again and again and again and again.

…

"Listen to me, okay? Sit down. Look at me in the eyes." Mei tugged at my left arm. "Do it. Sit down."

I did as she asked of me, still breathing with great intensity.

"It's not worth it." She frowned. "What would Daisuke think of you if you killed her?"

"K...Kozaki?" I shook my head. "Why would it matter?"

"Oh please. Don't pretend like he isn't important to you." Mei pointed to me, glaring critically. "You've taken an affection to him, of course it would matter what he thinks! Do you love that young man Daisuke?!"

I bit my lip, looking down and covering my face. I could feel myself blush, feel my hands shake. "I...I do…"

"What did you say?" The vigilante leaned in. "I can't hear you."

"I do!" I raised my voice, looking up and frowning. "Yes, I do!"

Mei slapped me across the face. "Hey, no need to shout at me. I just told you to speak up, damn it."

"S-Sorry…" I gulped, feeling at my cheek.

We looked over to see Zraiko, Mest, and Sayino pinning Anne down to the floor.

"How many more knives do you have hidden in that apron, huh?" The hacker asked, glaring at her critically.

"I told you, I ran out. I used my last one to free Kozaki." Anne replied, codly and calmly.

"Free Kozaki?! You tried to kill him!" Sayino frowned. "What freedom is that?!"

"Freedom from this game! Can none of you hear me?!" The patisserie shrieked. "We all have to die! It's the only way to end this! Haven't you realized it by now, the fact that nobody's come to help us?! They're entertained!" She wildly laughed. "All this talk of ratings and money! Wouldn't you rather die than allow for your lives to be abused?!"

"Enough, Anne. Stop talking." Mest's voice was harsh.

...Part of me...still can't believe who this girl is. Anne was so sweet to us for the longest time...and yet...now she was acting like a completely different person. Even if all her years of therapy were stripped away from her…

Riko and Kyohi walked over to us, the clarinetist kneeling besides me and rubbing my shoulder. "Fraize, are you alright?"

I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. "No…I'm feeling very...very...upset."

"It sounds much more than just upset." She looked at me, worriedly. "Please, rest yourself."

Kyohi sat down besides me, it seemed he was sharing a level of understanding with my feelings. "...I'm upset, too. I don't think...any of us ever expected this to turn out in such a way..."

A short silence.

"Hey...is it wrong to want someone to die?" I asked, looking to the people around me. "Is it wrong that I want to see Anne be punished?"

Another silence.

"...No." Mei shook her head. "You have every right to feel that way."

"But…" I looked down, shaking my head. "...Wishing death to someone...isn't it horrible?"

Riko gently took my hands. When I looked up, she looked at me in the eyes. "...It's cruel, isn't it? But...I believe the reality is...there are no morals here. Perhaps...we will all unravel…" Her lip quivered. "It is a thought...I am quite horrified by."

I squeezed her hands, closing my eyes. "...You're right. I hope...this will be the end of it. If we could just...hold on a little longer…"

"Someone's going to come, right?" Kyohi nodded. "That's...that's gotta be it. Someone is coming to help us. I...I believe it."

Mei looked to the side, not saying anything. It seemed she was thinking...that we would be left to fend for ourselves. That nobody would be coming. That we should just accept...accept…

…

No. I won't believe it. I...I want to believe in us…

I have to believe because _somebody_ needs to believe. If I stop believing...if nobody believes…

Kozaki...

…

Anne calmed down, looking around. "Hey...I got us all a lot more viewers, right? Was my acting good?"

...Huh?

Anne sighed, looking away. "Maybe if more people see this...at least someone will do something. I caused...so much drama. Was it good enough? Did I catch the attention of someone who...can save you all?"

…

Is this the real Anne?

Anne slowly sat up, brushing her apron. "It was so dramatic, right? Acting like a serial killer…" She forced a smile. "...Don't forgive me for this. If you want to continue this game...be as loud as you can, okay? Scream...and maybe someone will hear you."

…

I...I don't…

…

Who really is...Anne Kimidori…?

"It-seems-waiting-for-the-punishment-is-no-longer-needed." Monobotto returned. "Kozaki-Daisuke-and-Weise-Vayrne-will-be-missing-out. It-is-quite-a-shame. However-they-are-under-intensive-care-and-it-is-unfortunate-that-they-might-not-recover-for-quite-an-extended-period-of-time. With-that-said…" It sprouted out a hand, then picking up a gavel by its throne. "It-is-time-to-eliminate-this-foolish-fool-!"

 **GAME OVER.**

 **Anne Kimidori has been found guilty.**

 **Commencing the punishment…**

* * *

Anne was grabbed by her left wrist, being pulled violently away from those who were pinning her down. Her screaming echoed in the trial room, being cut off and cut silent upon the slamming of the execution doors.

She wasn't screaming out of fear. It was...it was madness. A madness I've never seen or could even begin to comprehend. The rest of us were dragged off to the seats of the auditorium. I looked to the stage with great intensity, feeling my body shake with a strong, nervous energy.

I...found myself anticipating her death...already picturing what might happen...

…

Get...get a hold of yourself...stop thinking like that…

It's wrong...it's wrong...it's wrong…

I'm never going to forgive…

Calm...down…

The curtains pulled away. Anne stood there dressed in a Monobotto-themed chef's outfit. Her eyes...I could see them spiraling with insanity. ...Madness…

The stage started to rumble, with a lot of smoke being exhausted into the air. If my body wasn't restrained in the seat, I would've covered my mouth. The smell reeked of a sinister aura...despair smelled disgusting.

Once the smoke was cleared, Anne was sitting in a large bowl full of unrealistically huge berries.

...What's going to happen to her?

Despite all the reason I had to not care...despite how angry I was at her…

She's going to face a brutal demise.

A giant Monobotto rolled onto the stage, wearing a chef's hat on top. It picked up a berry from the basket and sliced it up, putting it into a mixing bowl on the side.

Another berry. Another berry. Two to eight to fifteen to twenty nine. Just when I thought it would pick up Anne, as she was the last in the bowl...the hand seemed to ignore her.

The berries were placed into a hot pan and simmered with sugar and cream. Was...was this some play on a cooking program?

The Monobotto then prepared the ingredients that would be used to make cake batter. Flour, sugar, eggs, milk…

It got out a mixer and started to stir it up. The blades looked incredibly sharp.

Then it placed the simmering berries inside, continuing to mix it up.

…

It paused for a moment, then reaching over to the bowl Anne was sitting in. Without hesitation, it tipped the bowl and dropped Anne into the mix.

Don't tell me...is it going to…

 _Blend her?_

It stared down at her for quite some time, watching her slowly sink into the batter. She didn't do anything. No struggle, no fight. She did taste the batter, though. Then...she spat it out right into the giant Monobotto's face. With that...it was past the point of no return.

I wanted to avert my eyes, but I couldn't stop myself from watching. Hearing her screams echo throughout the room. The violently blending whirring sounded like a chainsaw...cutting her body up like butter. I could see her bones crushing, blood spilling everywhere…

It was the most malicious thing I've ever experienced in my life…

I looked over to see the giant Monobotto pour the mix into a cake mold, then placing it in the oven. It baked the cake, decorated it, it made it look sickly beautiful.

Anne was already dead...but I couldn't help but feel despair all the same.

After placing the cake up for display with us all to see, it rolled off the stage.

* * *

What...am I looking at…?

A cake looking so wonderful and sweet...with a flavor most bitter...bitter and cruel…

Did she...really deserve this?

Who was she?

The girl we knew?

Now the problem becomes...how do we bury this? How are we supposed to lay this in the garden?! The girl who was Anne Kimidori...she doesn't exist anymore.

… _She's...this cake…_

Alright, then. I'll just have to take pieces of the cake one by one and…!

"What-a-wonderful-cake-we-have-here-!" Monobotto exclaimed, rolling up to the bitter sweet. "I-wonder-what-it-tastes-like-?"

Monobotto began to grind up the entire cake into its body. As...as if _this_ wasn't even enough!

"Mmm. Not-bad." It stood there alone on the giant plate filled with nothing but crumbs. "Could-use-more-corpses. I-should-bake-all-of-you-fools-into-a-cake."

I was disturbed, I was disgusted...this was too much.

"Ah-dang. I-feel-a-big-load-coming-!" Monobotto began to spin around. Hopping like mad, suddenly a coin shot out from its mouth, landing onto the stage floor.

"You-fools-are-free-to-leave-now." The robot rolled away. "And-don't-any-of-you-even- _think_ -about-breaking- _my_ -rules."

…

Released from my seat, I walked over to the stage and looked at the coin with the others.

"What is this?" Sayino asked, frowning lightly. "A coin...that's all that's left of her?"

"...This was unnecessary. All of this." Zraiko frowned. "I've had enough."

I picked up the coin, looking at it with great intensity. The neck that I was crushing, the girl I wanted to die. This is all she is now.

Just...a coin…

It was meaningless.

"Let's go to the garden." Mest crossed his arms, nodding. "Regardless of who she was...I'd like to have her buried as well. I saw a great pain in her eyes. Perhaps...a pain we will never know."

We walked away from the garden, unable to find anything to say to Anne. I believe the consensus was we would do it together once Kozaki and Weise recovered, but...I could sense the atmosphere was filled with excuses.

Walking back to the dorm area, I noticed something...off. A humming sound, one that would get louder for each step upstairs I took.

"Do you hear that?" I asked, though...to no one in particular.

The others looked over to the direction of the sound.

"It's...coming from the Mono-shift Room." Sayino scratched the back of her head. "Should we...look inside?"

"I'm not sure…" Kyohi felt at his shoulder in discomfort. "I don't trust this."

Riko looked around the room, then starting to walk towards the Mono-shirt Room on her own. I quickly followed behind, with the others tailing along. The clarinetist knocked on the door once, then twice, and then a third time.

"...Looks like we'll just have to enter ourselves." Mei walked to the door then turning the door knob. It...didn't open, though. "Ah, shit!" She rubbed her hands together. "Alright, alright. I'll just kick the door down. Back away, unless you want my foot slipping into your face!"

We all made a clearing from the door, anxious to see what Mei would do. The vigilante rubbed her hands together, door twenty steps back, and charged to the door at full force.

However, she would be grabbed from behind by Monobotto and yanked into the air. "Fool. What-are-you-doing-? You-can't-go-in-now. There-is-an-operation-taking-place."

"What...what do you mean... _operation?"_ Kyohi asked, gulping.

"Obviously-the-fools-needed-emergency-surgery. Otherwise-they-would-bleed-out-and-have-such-pitifully-meaningless-deaths-!" Monobotto shooed us away from the area. "Now-go-to-bed. No-visitors-will-be-allowed-in-until-after-morning-bell-once-the-surgeries-are-over."

I was skeptical when faced with the fact that Monobotto would be responsible for my friend's lives. I feared for the worst, I didn't trust that robot at all. What if...they die?

…

Even after everyone headed back to their dorms, trying to get whatever scraps of sleep they could...I couldn't stop thinking about them. I couldn't stop thinking...about him.

After the past two executions, Kozaki would ask to spend the night with me in my room. I'm sure Weise would want to do the same now as well...but…

It's just me. I'm alone here.

They're alone over there.

I decided to get out of bed and walk over to the Mono-shift Room.

Locked.

I can wait.

Locked still. Won't budge. Still hearing noises...I'm scared for them.

It's still locked. No...I won't go back. I can't leave them.

I waited for what felt like hours. I think I even drifted off to sleep, leaning against the wall. I woke up to the sound of the morning bell, hardly having a restful sleep. Seeing the door unlocking, I stood up and reached over for the handle. I felt my hand shaking...afraid of finding myself with an unpleasant sight just beyond the door. Taking in a deep breath, I turned the handle and stepped inside.

The room had an atmosphere that was quite peaceful. There were large, simulative windows at the far walls to let in 'sunlight.' There were some benches and tables set up, books sorted into shelves, toys placed into bins, a foam puzzle mat on the floor...it felt like a children's hospital.

Looking over to the side of the room, I could see my two friends sleeping. I wouldn't call it a peaceful sleep...just a restful one. Closing the door behind me, I walked over to grab a chair and sit besides Kozaki. It wasn't that I didn't care about Weise's health, but I knew with certainty he would be able to recover. The knife didn't hit him in a place that would threaten his survival...like his abdomen. I wasn't trying to be selfish. I just...I couldn't describe the feeling.

…

I placed a hand onto his forehead to feel his temperature. My hand slipped back his head, moving his hair away from his face.

…

How much pain are you enduring? What's going on inside your mind? Are you suffering?

I can see from the look on your face...your sleep isn't a restful one. I wish there was something I could do to help you.

I placed a hand on top of his left hand, then squeezing it lightly.

 _'Do you love that young man Daisuke?!'_

It's a lot of things, really. When I first saw him...his eyes showed to me he was someone who needed another to rely on. Kozaki needs someone to be there for him. So I...wanted to be that person. I didn't expect that I'd have an attraction, but...the more I got to see and get to know him…

…

When he told me his whole story in his Shift Room back then...when I could see he held a level of trust to me that wasn't shared with the others...it felt like a gesture. It felt like he was specifically asking _me_ to be the one he could count on to get him out of a pinch.

And so I...I responded with affection. I was hesitant at first, naturally given the circumstances. What am I doing asking to be in a relationship with someone I've known only for a short period of time? I felt stupid for feeling the way I did.

But I had to ask, anyway. I wanted to ask to see how he felt. I wanted to ask to know what he wanted.

And…

Maybe I was right.

I leaned in to kiss him gently on the forehead. It looked like for only a moment he relaxed. That confirmed it to me.

I know I'm right.

I might be feeling tired, emotionally drained. I might need to go back to sleep to salvage any form of rest. I might need to stop caring so much about the other people around me, sparing only a minute for myself. I might, but even so...

…

I won't be going back to my dorm to sleep.

* * *

~Chapter Three, End~


	20. A Silenced Cry Daily Life 1

Chapter Four ~ A Silenced Cry

* * *

Sunlight on a blazing Wednesday. The heat was intense, as it usually was at around this time of year. May, when the summer begins to slip in. It's here when work really starts to pick up, where I give multiple tours daily. Working from eight until eight again, twelve hours a day. I know I'm not supposed to be working this long. I really should only be working from eight until four, but...I need the money. My family needs it.

Well...today I was given a day off. It feels weird to not be working. I figured I would go for a walk around the city, maybe stop by a butcher shop and pick up some meat to cook for dinner.

My sister Annette has been telling me recently that she's been trying to get a job as well. She wants to lighten my load, help with the finances. I'm a little worried, as an eldest brother would naturally be. I still remember her beaten face when my father mercilessly struck her. She's my little sister, I want to protect her.

Walking through downtown, the crowd grew saturated. I tried everything to dodge and weave by, narrowly missing some children and adults alike.

I stopped to look through the window of one of the shops. A clothing store, one of the most popular and expensive brands as well. I'm not the biggest fan of wearing clothes like these, but I thought about getting a gift for my mother. I'm sure she would appreciate a new necklace.

 _Bump._

I looked over to see a boy slightly shorter than me. His hair was pink and quite long, strands of hair streaking down his face. He wore a semi-formal suit with a loose tie and a pair of glasses on his face.

"Sorry." He waved to me before continuing to walk where he was originally heading.

I wanted to say it was alright, but he was already gone. That's just how life is in Barcelona...fast paced, always moving. I think I'm the only one who likes to stop and actually look around.

I decided not to purchase the necklace, as my mother probably wouldn't accept it.

We can't afford it, my son. Please do not worry for me. I'm happy with what I have.

Mother, you're too kind. You always worry for our family.

I looked up to hear the sound of a child calling out. Calling for his or her mother, lost.

It's so easy to get lost here.

I decided home could wait, trying to find where the child was in the crowd.

But when I arrived to the origin of the child's voice, there was nothing to be seen. An alleyway, all gone quiet.

There was no child. Only empty boxes and trash cans with a metal fence in the back.

What's going on here?

"There you are."

I turned around to face a masked individual, blocking the way back to the streets.

"We've been keeping an eye on you for a while." The person pointed to me. "Yep. I was right."

I didn't say anything, only backing away towards the metal fence.

"What was your name again?" The person teased. "Ramón Loarte?"

Frowning, I shook my head rather than granting the stranger any words.

"Oh, that's right. You came up with a fake name for yourself after your father left. It was...Fraize Kimizai, right?" The individual began to approach me.

Turning around, I made an effort to climb up the fence. My fight or flight mentality was kicking in, everything told me to get out of here. Everything told me to run or I'll die.

Landing on the other side, I began to sprint out into the open. Dodging cars, slipping past other people, I did everything I could to get far, far away.

Opening the door to my apartment, I closed it quickly and flipped the lock. Home, safe…

"I'm home!" I called out to my mother and siblings.

But there wasn't a response.

Oh, that's right. They've gone to the beach today to swim in the sea.

I placed my stuff besides the door, walking over to the kitchen to sit down and breathe.

Who was that person? What did they want with me? Why would they...do something like this?

I decided to then head over to my bedroom, climbing onto my bed and laying down to stare at the ceiling.

That person knew my names, both of them.

Closing my eyes, I hummed to myself. It'll be okay. I'm sure it might just be someone related to my father trying to scare me. Trying to force me to his custody. I don't want anything to do with that man, I refuse to be involved with him or even see him again.

I sat up upon hearing knocking from the front door. It seems they're home. So soon?

Climbing out of bed, I walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey, you sure gave me the slip, didn't you?"

It was...t-that masked person.

I slammed the door quickly, locking it.

"Hey, hey. That's a little rude, don't you think?" The person taunted me. "Why not let me in?"

"Get away from here!" I yelled to the stranger. "You're not welcome!"

"Feisty, aren't you?" The person knocked on the door. "Let me in, Ramón."

"My name is not Ramón!" I turned around and walked away from the door.

"Fine, fine…"

I turned around upon hearing the sound of the door lock click. The individual entered, crossing his or her arms. "Nice place…"

"Get out!" I frowned.

"Calm down, will you? I'm here to pick you up." The person extended a hand. "Come with me."

"I'm not interested." I backed away, maintaining eye contact.

"That's a shame...you'll be coming whether you like it or not." The person pulled their hand back.

I was grabbed from behind by two other masked individuals. I struggled to get out from their grasp, but they held me down too tightly.

"Hmm...eenie meenie miney mo…" The first person walked over. "Which precious item has to go?" He or she reached over for my whistle.

Instinctively, I swung my leg forward. "Back off!"

"You really won't give up, huh?" The person pulled out a mask. "Sorry, Number Six. We've already decided...you're a perfect candidate."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, confused and angered.

"It means...your talent is incredible. You'll be great, don't worry. So then...here's your mask." The person lifted the mask and placed it over my face.

I felt dizzy, everything spiralling out from my control. I'm slipping, I'm falling…

…

Silence.

* * *

"Hey, wake up…"

…

"Hello?"

...Hhh...hmm?

"Hey, come on now."

I slowly opened my eyes and yawned, finding myself to have fallen asleep in the chair I was sitting in.

"How long have you been here?"

Who...who's voice…?

Rubbing my eyes, I blinked a few times and look around. "Since morning bell...that's when the room finally opened."

"Are you feeling alright?" Riko kneeled in front of me, tilting her head lightly. "You seem to be quite out of it…"

I sat up straight, stretching my arms. "I-I'm fine. Just trying to hang in there."

Sayino walked over and crossed her arms, observing our two sleeping friends. "Damn...I can't believe this."

"Hey, t-they'll be okay, right?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

I stood up and crossed my arms. "I'm positive Weise will be alright. It's Kozaki that took a life-threatening hit. He might be out for who knows how long…"

Mei walked over to where Weise was resting. She sighed and tugged at her jacket. "Hey. Any of you know what we're going to tell him?"

"Weise killed Neizami. Plain and simple." Zraiko sighed and shook his head. "We can't sugar coat this."

"But that's not it, Zraiko." Kyohi frowned and pointed to the hacker. "Anne made him! It's not his fault!"

The hacker looked to the side. "...I know that. I think once Weise wakes up, he'll know it as well."

Mest walked over to Weise as well, standing besides the vigilante. "Let us ensure he will not awaken to find himself with no available comfort…"

"I will." I volunteered myself. "I've been here this whole time, after all. You all should go and have breakfast."

Riko held her hands together, slightly shaking her head. "No, Fraize. I will remain here. After all, I've already eaten. Please, go on and take care of yourself. You're welcome to return later."

I wanted to protest, as seeing my friends wounded only fueled my worries for them. Though, I guess I really should get something to eat…

"Okay." I stood up. "I'll go and eat. Count on me to come back soon, alright?"

After Riko nodded back to me, I headed out of the Mono-shift Room to go to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

Because Anne is...dead...well, we'll have to rely on ourselves to do the cooking.

The kitchen was in a state of disarray. There were scraps of vegetables and bits of plastic trash all over. Whoever was here before didn't do much to clean up after themselves. Going into the fridge, I knelt down to look at my options. Cheese makes for a quick and easy snack, combined with some ham it would be pretty good. Though, maybe I should eat a bit more than that. If only I knew how to cook more than a poorly fried egg.

Ah, maybe a sandwich will be good. Alright! I'll get the cheese, the ham, some tomatoes, maybe lettuce…

Hmm, I think I should add some mustard. Or...does mustard go well with this? Maybe I should ask someone. What would Kozaki think? Does he eat his sandwiches with mustard?

Ah, what am I doing thinking about him at a time like this?

I can't help but think about him. I'm worried, I'm really worried. Being stabbed in the abdomen, stabbed so violently without mercy...I'm angry. I'm still feeling angry.

Even though by now I'm calmer, when I think about it I still can't help but remember that pure, raw rage in my chest. Now that rage has desaturated, and it's left behind a mindless feeling of constant worry. Is it even worry? Is it...an obsession?

Just take in a few deep breaths. Make your sandwich and calm down, it's going to be okay.

Okay? Okay.

Ah, I wish I could clear my head. The recent trial, it brought out that side of me I haven't seen in quite a long time. I don't remember the last time I got so angry I...hit someone. Hit someone out of anger.

I've been trying to keep my qualms in this place, but this killing game is really getting to me. Of course, I continue to hope that someone is coming for us. Is it wishful thinking? It might be. I just don't want to lose myself. I don't want to slowly turn into a mindless, emotionally ruined husk.

I walked over to the sink to wash my plate after finishing my sandwich, turning on the hot water to clean the plate. I felt the water run down my hands, feeling its intense heat. There was something meditative about it, something that helped me to clear my mind.

I wonder if Kozaki feels a similar sensation whenever he stands before a fire, feeling its intense heat.

Here I go again, thinking about him. He just keeps slipping into my mind, though I can't understand why. Am I...really just worried? Is it something more?

When will you learn to stop thinking about other people and stop to worry about yourself for once, Fraize? Pull yourself together. This killing game is getting to you. Just stop and shake it off. You can do that, right?

Hmm...I guess I should take some time to reflect on all this.

Waking up here for the first time...how long has it been? A week? A month?

There's no sense of time here at all.

…

I remember that feeling of fear. Was it fear?

It was multiple feelings. Feelings of fear, confusion, my life spiralling out of control. All of us, herded like sheep, helpless. Hopeless.

Killing game...

* * *

I woke up, cold sweat rolling down my face.

It was just a nightmare, right?

Of course, it had to have been a bad dream. There's no way-

...Where am I?

Slowly sitting up, I felt at my head.

Hey, I thought I woke up. So why isn't the nightmare over?

Unless that nightmare is really reality, then…

What is this place?

Slowly standing up, I found myself to be in some kind of bedroom. I was wearing avocado pajamas, despite the fact I've never owned them.

I suppose I do like avocados.

I found my clothes folded neatly off to the side, resting on a bed stand.

My whistle's gone...they really did take it from me.

I have to find it. It must be being kept somewhere…

Picking up my clothes from the bed stand, I sighed and could only find myself feeling anxiety. Changing into them, I slowly looked over to the door.

Go outside, that's what it was telling me.

Approaching the door, I gripped the handle with a shaking hand. What am I going to find? If those masked people really worked with my father, t-then...is my father waiting for me? What's he going to do to me?

I'm scared, terrified. What's waiting for me once I open this door?

Just open the door. Run out, run and get out of here. Run as fast as you can.

I threw the door open to sprint out only to find myself in a place I wasn't expecting.

Is this some kind of...dormitory?

There's other rooms, all of them labeled with different names. Zraiko Nikiroi, Kyohi Hayai, my name, Kozaki Daisuke, Neizami Otomaeda, Mei Jiana, Riko Hamoizumi, and lastly-

The final door opened slowly just as I was investigating it. A girl with a beanie, light pink sweater, black shirt and dress pants, and light purple scarf timidly peaked from the side. Upon seeing me, she opened the door fully. "U-Umm...hello?"

"Hey there." I offered an awkward smile. "Did you just wake up, too?"

She blinked in confusion. "Eh?"

"Hmm?" I tilted my head.

Feeling at her beanie, she tilted her head as well. "Can you...repeat that, please? You're speaking in English and Spanish, and...I can't understand the Spanish parts."

I'm...speaking in English and Spanish? I mean, I do use both languages regularly. Perhaps it's gotten to the point where I can no longer notice which language I'm speaking in?

"Let me try speaking slower." I cleared my throat. "Did you just...wake up...as well?"

She nodded in understanding. "I did."

This is weird. Really, really weird. What's going on here?

"Do you know where we are?" She asked, worriedly.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I do not."

Awkwardness. That's how I would describe it.

"I should introduce myself, eh?" The girl smiled, kindly. "Fanorne, Tikari. It's nice to meet you…" She waited for me to give my name.

"I'm Fraize Kimizai." I extended a hand. "It is good to meet you as well."

We shook hands lightly, though the awkward atmosphere was still in the air.

"Would you...like to tell me a bit about yourself?" I asked, pulling my hand away.

Tikari looked to the side, then back to me. "I'm from Montreal, Canada. I work in special education for children. I guess...I'm very good at it. The children always seem to smile a little more when I'm around, eh?" She giggled lightly. "I suppose that really does make me the Super-Highschool-Level Special Educator."

The...what now?

Something about what she just said was weird. I mean, this whole place is weird. Weird like some kind of fictional movie weird.

Ah, that's right. I should tell her about myself as well.

"I'm from Spain." I nodded, crossing my arms. "I work as a tour guide in Barcelona, my home city. I work quite hard, as my family really needs the money. Though, I know the city front and back. I don't mind having to work as long as I do, as I love walking through the streets. That makes me the Super-Highschool-Level Tour Guide-"

…

What…?

What am I saying? That title just...flew out of my mouth…

I felt at my face, looking away. This is weird...this is wrong…

I've never heard those words before. Never thought of myself with such kind of title. Yet, here I am with this declaration…

"Are you alright?" Tikari asked, worriedly.

I shook it off, looking back to her. "I'm fine, sorry. This place is really creeping me out. Why are we here, anyway? You're from Canada, I'm from Spain...ah!" I scratched at my head, trying to dig out memories of what I was doing before. "Did you get kidnapped by a bunch of people wearing masks?"

Although she looked as though she couldn't understand every word, her eyes lit up upon hearing about 'masks.'

"So you did." I gulped.

This means my father isn't responsible for this at all. My father wouldn't go out of his way to kidnap strangers from all over the world. I doubt he even knows these people at all.

If not my father...who's responsible for this? Who kidnapped us? And...why?

"So, Fraize...we should look around, eh?" Tikari tapped her fingertips together.

"Good idea." I nodded in agreement. "Maybe we can find the other people that are here."

She stepped out from her room, gently closing the door behind her. "Alright...where should we start?"

We ended up walking around quite a distance. Since we were already on the second floor, as we were at the top half of the dormitory complex, we decided to search this level first. All the doors were locked, however. After that, we headed downstairs. Another eight dorm rooms were there.

Sixteen students in total. So...why is Tikari the only other person I've found?

Locked, locked, locked. Every single room was locked.

"Ah, look!" Tikari called out to me. "This one's open, Fraize!"

Opening the door, we found the female restrooms. The male restrooms were also unlocked. There wasn't anything quite remarkable about the bathrooms, so we moved on rather quickly.

More walking. More searching.

"Hey, check this out." I waved to the special educator. "This door's also unlocked."

A kitchen. Huh...interesting.

Weird. Did I mention this was all very weird?

I can't tell what this place is at all. I'm confused, more confused than I've ever been before. Confused by this place, confused by the previously unlocked rooms suddenly locking up tight, confused by the robot that came and snatched us, confused by seeing people being dragged over and dumped onto a stage, confused by the announcement of a killing game…

…

K...Killing...game…?

No, I wasn't just confused. I was scared. Scared, no. I was horrified. Horrified?

I didn't even know what I was feeling.

My thoughts were running wild. What is this? This whole thing? These strangers and these stranger circumstances. These people who were all taken. Taken, why them? Why me? What are we all doing here?

My head is spinning, I can't grasp this reality I was flung into.

"Hey…have you guys found anything?"

I looked up to see a group of four approach us. By us, I mean Tikari and myself with two other individuals. I overheard their names being Mest and Mei, as Tikari was talking to them earlier.

The new voice belonged to a girl wearing a fedora on top of golden, braided hair. She wore an outfit similar to that of European concert-wear. She must be a musician of some kind. She introduced herself earlier, right? I think her name was Riko.

"Not too much, sorry…the most we found were bathrooms and a kitchen. Everything else was locked." Tikari replied, kindly.

Maybe I should join in, giving in my own thoughts. Makes sense, as her partner.

"Yes, and those rooms are locked now. It's a very interesting situation." I nodded.

A boy with pink hair, a black hood, maroon sweater, and black pants standing besides Riko blinked and pointed to me. "You're...not speaking English fully."

I shrugged, feeling chipper. "I understand four languages." I then paused, wondering if I should repeat myself just to be safe. "I understand four languages."

At this point, this is beyond weird. Unnerving, truly.

"Ah...I see…" He looked to the side, awkwardly.

Huh...when I think about it, have I seen this boy somewhere before?

…

Oh, no. I've seen a boy with pink hair, but he looked completely different. After all, if this was the same boy, we would share some sort of familiarity with each other. This boy is not the same.

Hmm...his name…

He said his name was Kozaki, I think.

I must be missing home. How far away is home from here? How much am I missing home when even a stranger brings me back there? How embarrassing...I should be missing my family, not a random person who bumped into me on the street!

My family, do they know where I am?

"And you are...?" Kozaki asked.

I smiled, still carrying my feelings of nervous embarrassment. "Hello. I'm Fraize Kimizai, it's a pleasure to meet you."

I should say something to lighten the mood. After all, with this talk of a killing game…

"Normally, I would like to show you around, though even I have no idea where we are. Perhaps if there was a map…"

"Finding a map would do us well." Mei joined into the chat.

"That's a great idea." Riko smiled.

I joined in, hoping to participate in this small act of conversation. "Ahh...Okay! I hope we become good friends."

* * *

After finishing up in the kitchen, I decided to head back to the Mono-shift Room just as I had declared. Riko was there, patiently sitting in a chair and observing Weise and Kozaki. The others already left and were wandering around as usual.

"Hey, you're back." Riko smiled to me. "Are you feeling better?"

"Ah, I think so." I nodded, then pulling up a chair to sit besides her. "I guess the breakfast helped."

"The breakfast?" She giggled. "Fraize, it's well past afternoon."

Blinking, I pulled out my Bottolet to check the time. "Oh, wow. How long was I asleep for? It's...already five…"

Riko nodded, then looking back to the others. "If you came in when the door unlocked and then fell asleep, I'd say perhaps you slept for seven hours."

"A-Ah?" I put my Bottolet away. "Seven hours? I slept through almost the entire day?"

"Mhm." She looked back to me. "You did not miss out on much, however. Mostly there was little going on. Everyone is...still quite shaken over the trial."

"I see…" I sighed, looking down.

Riko and I sat together in silence for a while. There has to be some kind of end to this. Someone has to be coming. I believe with everything I have that there will be someone. Even if it's just one person. Even if it's only...only just one person…

…

"...H...Hnn…"

We looked over to see Weise open his eyes. He looked around, his face carrying a blank expression.

"Weise, you're awake! Oh, thank goodness…" The clarinetist walked over, worriedly. "How do you feel?"

Weise tried to sit up, but he put too much weight onto his wounded arm and fell over. "A-Ah!"

Riko quickly stepped in to catch him and support his weight. "C-Careful! Your wound…"

Leaning against her, he looked around the room. "Wh...What arriver?"

"You had to be taken out of the trial." I walked over, then taking a seat on his bed. "You were attacked, so Monobotto removed you."

I noticed then that Weise was actually wearing his pajamas rather than his usual outfit. It wasn't anywhere around here, which I found to be a little strange. Kozaki also seemed to be wearing pajamas, and his usual outfit was missing as well. I wonder...where did their clothes go?

I suppose we'll have to pester Monobotto about this later.

"Is...the trial over?" He looked over to me. "Is Anne...m-morte?"

Sighing, I nodded in response.

The fashion designer then looked upwards. "...When will I be executed?"

"W-What are you saying?" Riko gasped. "No, Weise. You will not be executed! You did not do anything wrong!"

Weise covered his face, shaking his head lightly. "I...I...I killed someone, Riko…! I killed one of my les amis! I...I'm a monstre! I…!"

"Weise, please…" I skooched over next to him on the bed and patted him on his head gently. "Do you remember what you told Neizami during Ingreis's trial?"

He slowly pulled his hands away. "...Non…"

"You told Neizami that she wasn't a monster for being involved with someone's death." I nodded. "You should listen to yourself, my friend. You are no monster either."

"Mais...Mais I killed her!" Weise teared up. "I'm...I'm a tueur! I broke my promettre! Kozaki...I told him I didn't want to...a-and…"

…

They were partners during the handcuffs motive, that's right. I figured that it would make sense for the two to have gotten close.

"Shh, it's okay." Riko tenderly hugged him, stroking his hair. "It's okay, Weise. It's okay."

"H...How est it okay?" He asked, lip trembling.

Riko gave him a light kiss on the forehead. "Because you are a dear friend to us, Weise. We believe in you. You never wanted any of this. Please...do not blame yourself."

The fashion designer slowly returned the hug, then sobbing quietly. I reached over to join in, trying not to crush the poor boy.

After enough time had passed for Weise to calm down, he wiped his tears. "Where sont the others?"

Riko looked towards the door. "Sayino and Kyohi are in the arcade. Mest and Zraiko are working on the programming. Mei is...wherever Mei wants to be…"

"A...And Kozaki?" Weise twiddled his fingertips. "I...I need to talk to him…"

Riko and I exchanged glances.

"Well...Kozaki is here, but...he won't be able to talk for quite some time." I sighed.

"W-What do vous mean?" Weise asked, worriedly.

Exchanging glances with Riko once again, we both stood up from the bed to allow for Weise to see for himself.

"W-W...What happened?" He asked, trying to process the scene.

The clarinetist held her hands together. "After the trial ended...Anne tried to kill him. She took out a knife and advanced into his abdomen."

Covering his mouth with his hands, Weise looked away.

"It's not your fault." I patted him on his good shoulder, nodding. "None of this is your fault, okay? For now, you should be careful to make sure you recover."

He pulled his hands away and looked back to me. "...But…"

"You didn't do this. It was Anne. Alright?" I shook him lightly. "Now please...just rest yourself and clear your mind. Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat."

Weise shook his head. "Non, je can't eat. I'm not faim…"

"But Weise, you have been sleeping for such a long time." Riko held her hands together, worriedly. "Please, you must eat at least something."

The fashion designer looked down, sighing. "I...suppose I could eat something...but I just don't feel hungry at all."

Riko walked towards the door. "I shall get you something to eat. Please, wait here."

After closing the door behind her, Weise and I sat in silence. I've never have really felt particularly close to Weise, mostly because we've never had the opportunity to sit down together and talk about things. Perhaps this would be a good time to strike up a conversation?

"Hey, Weise?" I looked over to him. "Do you...want to talk about anything?"

He looked to me, tilting his head lightly. "Umm...like what?"

I offered a smile. "Well, maybe something that makes you feel good? Like...your favorite movie?"

His eyes lit up lightly. "Oh, well...my favorite movie is about a fille who is about to be wed, but ne fait pas know who her father is. She actually has trois possibilities as to who her father might be, so she decides to inviter all trois hommes to her wedding. She wants to find her real father to walk her down the aisle, and there's a lot of singing et dancing et…" He grew quiet as he noticed my perplexed look. "Umm...I guess you've never seen it, huh?"

"Ah, no. Sorry, I haven't seen it." I shook my head lightly, failing to understand all the French he was speaking.

"What's your favorite movie?" He asked, puffing his cheeks.

I crossed my arms, thoughtfully. "Hmm, I'm not sure. I do not go out to see movies often, so I tend to be grateful for seeing a movie at all."

"Oh...okay…" Weise looked away.

…

Awkward.

* * *

Doesn't have a talent, he told us. I couldn't help but feel...maybe there was something he was hiding.

I stayed behind as everyone else left, looking around Kozaki's Shift Room. I was hesitant to exit, though I did not want to stay any much longer if it disturbed Kozaki. With that, I turned to leave.

"...Fraize, wait."

I paused, looking towards Kozaki. "Yes, my friend?"

He walked over to me, taking my hand and walking me over to the rocks near the middle of the room. "...I...I need to tell you something, and you have to promise...you won't tell anyone."

"...Kozaki?" I asked, blinking with confusion.

"Okay, okay. Well...you can talk to me about it, as well as Riko and Kyohi, but...I…" He shook his head, sitting down onto one of the rocks. "Please…"

I slowly sat down, looking to Kozaki. "My friend, is there a problem?"

"...Yeah…It's a big problem..." He sighed. "...Fraize...listen carefully, please."

I sat upright, giving him my fullest attention. What is he going to tell me? I can't help but feel nervous...

"...I do...have a talent…" He looked away for a moment, then turning back to me to look me in the eyes. "And I don't know how you'll feel about it, but...I want to tell you the truth...because I trust you. Because...I think you'll be able to help me."

I took some time to process what he told me, thinking slowly and carefully. So he does have a talent...what kind of talent could it be for him to be so worried? Nodding, I asked him, "What is your talent, Kozaki?"

"...I'm." He shook his head, then frowning and giving strong, certain, confident nod. "I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist."

…

Huh?

"C-Can you repeat that?" I asked, wanting to check to see if I heard that right.

He looked down, feeling at his head. "I'm...an arsonist." He then quickly looked up. "But I'm trying to stop, honestly."

To say I had so many questions would be an understatement. "Wait, so you...you go light fires and…"

"I don't hurt people, I swear." He insisted, sounding a little desperate. It seems he feared he made the wrong choice in telling me.

"Okay...so what _do_ you do?" I scratched the back of my head. "If that's your talent, you must be... extremely good at it."

He sighed, feeling at his right arm. "I-I shouldn't say I'm...extremely good…"

Hmm...

"So how about we start at the beginning?" I crossed my arms. "Why did you...become an arsonist?"

Kozaki seemed to feel very uncomfortable about the topic. "W-Well...when I was younger, I would light bonfires for the kids in my neighborhood. I didn't have many friends, so...it made me feel appreciated…" He then looked down. "My best friend Mikanne, he was always there for me. He rallied the kids, everyone loved being around him…"

"You lit bonfires?" I felt the back of my head. "I suppose dipping into arsonism wouldn't be that unbelievable, huh?"

Kozaki looked back up. "I think what started it was the accident…"

He proceeded to tell me all about what occurred when the fire went out of control. He told me about losing everyone's trust, his best friend moving away to a far away place, all the emotional pressure he put onto himself, all the times he committed arson, the times he got arrested, his entire downward spiral.

"I couldn't take it anymore…" He covered his face. "I...I couldn't...it was too much for me. So I...I tried to...to…" He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

He attempted to take his life, he eventually managed to tell me. He showed me the scar left behind on the back of his head, hidden away by his wild, pink hair. He just wanted to forget about it, though something like that can never just vanish from memory. He became overwhelmed with emotion, breaking down and crying. He said he felt so selfish, so ashamed.

"Shh...calm down…" I hugged him, patting him on the back. "I never realized, I'm sorry to hear this…"

"I'm ruined…" He shook his head. "My whole life has gone to shit! And now look where we are! If the others find out…" He tightened our hug. "They'll kill me, Fraize!"

"Hey, hey, don't say that." I tried to comfort him. "Nobody is going to kill you, Kozaki. Breathe, okay?"

He took in a few deep breaths, slowly backing away. "I'm...I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" I crossed my arms. "No, you have nothing to be sorry for."

Sighing, he covered his face in his hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do. What if the others start thinking of me as some kind of leader because of the trial? Someone like me...leading them? I'm a liar, a criminal. I should be in jail right now. I...I can't do this…"

I pulled his hands away from his face. "But that's not who you are anymore, right?"

Kozaki didn't reply, only averting his eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" I moved my hands away. "Why did you decide to tell me this?"

He looked me in the eyes. "You saved me, back in the Puzzle Room. I owe you my life, Fraize. I felt...you deserved to know."

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Hmm...Is that everything?"

"Well…" He smiled. "You're...a good friend to me. You might as well know just who you're friends with, right?"

I chuckled lightly, opening my eyes. "I guess that makes sense, huh?"

A short silence.

"Fraize, can I ask you something?" He looked to the side, feeling at his right arm.

I felt the back of my head. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

"I...told you more than anyone else knows." He chuckled, awkwardly. "So, I guess I'm...counting on you, okay?"

Counting on me…? For what?

Though, when I think about it, maybe it's multiple things. He revealed to me his biggest secrets, his deepest fears...and nobody else has this information. I've been placed into a position where I could simply turn him in to the others. I could tell everyone about it, about the person who walks among us. But…

It feels like...it's because he needs someone to lean on. He must be exhausted from the trial, I suppose everyone is. If that's the case, then...he needs support right now. I can give him that.

But what if it's something more?

What if he's asking for something from me in return?

Something like…

…

Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. Sure we've had little 'moments' if I should call it that, but…

I felt at my chest, closing my eyes. The thought feels warm, or maybe that's just his Shift Room.

I might be wrong, but should I ask?

No, this is the wrong time. I should think about it longer.

"I think we should head out now. The others are waiting." I nodded. "Are you coming, my friend?"

Kozaki nodded in return. "Y-Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

"Hey." I patted him on the shoulder. "I'm glad I met you, Kozaki."

* * *

We were unable to hold any form of a conversation, only sitting in an uncomfortable silence. I just wasn't sure what to say to him, it seemed we didn't share any common interests.

Riko returned, carrying a small plate with a salad of some kind. She gently handed it to Weise, then sitting on the bed once more. "Here you are, I hope you like it."

Weise investigated the salad. "What is it?"

The clarinetist smiled, lightly. "It's called a shopska salad. I have cousins from Bulgaria, so when they visit we tend to eat food from their culture. It's a salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, and feta cheese. Light and simple. Easy to eat, and really yummy." She giggled. "Would you care to try it?"

Picking up the fork, Weise took a bite from the salad. "Hmm, hmm…"

I leaned in, curiously. "What do you think, Weise?"

He swallowed. "It's...pretty good."

"Oh, really?" Riko seemed to be quite relieved. It was as if she was expecting a tantrum over the food 'not being worthy' or so. Strange...why would Weise do something like that?

Weise proceeded to finish the entire plate, then placing down his fork. "Thank you, mon amie...it was good."

Riko smiled, then taking the plate from his hands. "I'm glad. I shall go wash this in the kitchen, and I will return later. Take care."

With that, Riko once again left the room, leaving Weise and I to once again sit together awkwardly.

"...Oh dear…" Weise gulped, looking down.

"Hmm?" I looked over to Weise. "What's the matter, my friend?"

He covered his face in embarrassment. "J'ai faire a shower, b-but...I'm hurt...I don't want to go there by myself…what if my arm bleeds out?!"

"Oh?" I smiled. "Need me to come? I don't mind."

He nodded lightly, sighing. "O-Oui, please…"

I carefully helped to walk Weise over to the men's room, leading him to the shower. He walked incredibly slowly, as his body was still somewhat asleep. "Will you need my help in the shower?"

He turned to me, twiddling his fingers. "I...I don't know...I want to be married one day…" He looked away. "...But who would ever marier a killer like me?"

"Hey, don't say that. I'm sure you will find someone to marry once we escape." I sighed, pulling open the shower curtain for Weise to step inside. "You don't have to worry. I'll take good care of you."

He took off the top shirt of his pajamas, then handing it to me to hold onto. Weise then allowed for me to gently peel off the bandages covering his wound. I could see a deep bruise from where the knife went in, being cautious not to touch it. It seems Monobotto's special healing cream doesn't work as immediately as I thought. Either that or the cream was expired. Unfortunately, that's something Monobotto would do.

"Okay. Feeling alright?" I asked, checking on him.

Weise was willing to remove his pajama pants, but no more. "I...I can't let you see."

"Because you're going to get married one day, right?" I smiled, nodding. "Alright. Just step inside the shower and then hand me your undies."

Handing me his pajama pants and bandages, the fashion designer entered the shower and closed the curtain. A few moments later, one of his hands poked out to hand me his undies.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" I asked him, taking the undergarments. "Your shoulder might hurt a lot, you know. Especially if you use hot water."

"B-But I always faire hot showers!" He protested. "I'm not going to change that because of a silly wound!"

I knocked on the wall. "Hey, hey. That wound is pretty serious, Weise. You might not have been stabbed in the stomach, but that doesn't mean a shoulder stab won't hurt at all."

"Hnn! Hnn!" Weise turned on the shower.

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the wall and waited patiently. He sure is stubborn, isn't he?

"Ouch...ouch...ouchie…!" Weise squealed. "Fraize, it hurts! It hurts!"

"Then make the water cooler." I sighed. "I told you hot water was a bad idea, didn't I?"

"N-Non! I'll freeze!" Weise whined.

I decided not to respond and wait and see what he would do. Unfortunately, he only continued to squeal in pain from the hot water touching his bruise.

Once he finished his shower and got dressed into his pajamas, I took Weise by the hand to walk him back to the Mono-shift Room.

"Will you stay, mon amie?" Weise asked, squeezing my hand. "Je suis scared…"

I stopped at the door to the room and let go of his hand, then patting him on the head lightly. "If you want, sure I can."

With that, I opened the door to head into the room. That's when I saw him. He was sitting up, facing away from the door. His pink hair was messy, catching the light of the room in various ways. Seems he didn't notice me open the door, as he continued to sit in silence.

"Kozaki!" Weise scurried over, then climbing up onto the bed to sit besides him.

He turned to Weise, forcing a smile. "Hey, buddy…"

Weise looked to the side, he sniffled lightly. "Je suis...Je suis sorry...Je suis sorry...do you hate me?"

"Hate you?" He asked. "Why would I? We're friends."

Weise looked back to him. "...But I...Neizami…"

Kozaki pulled him in for a hug. "...I don't blame you. I should've...been there to protect you. I'm the one who should be sorry, Weise."

The fashion designer began to softly cry. "And now you're hurt, Kozaki. You're hurt so badly…"

"Hey, shh." The former arsonist patted Weise on the back. "I'll be okay. Take some deep breaths, okay?"

I wanted to go over to my dear friend and speak with him. He's lying again, as usual. I didn't want to call him out and put him on the spot, however. I know he's only lying to prevent us from worrying about him…

But it's obvious. He always says he'll be okay.

It's not true.

"Hey." He turned around, offering me a smile.

That smile was also a lie.

After closing the door, I slowly walked over and took a seat besides him. "You've been out of action all day, Kozaki. It's weird walking around and not seeing you."

He chuckled and felt at around his stomach around where his wound was. "I guess it...couldn't be helped."

A pause.

His smile faded "Was Anne…?" He tried to ask.

I nodded, simply.

He looked off to the side. "...What happened to her?"

I crossed my arms. "Are you saying you _want_ to know how she was executed?"

Kozaki looked back to me. "I guess...it's a sick curiosity."

Weise gulped, twiddling his fingers. It seemed he would rather spend the rest of his life without that knowledge.

"Sorry, I can't tell you. Not in front of Weise." I sighed. "Poor boy doesn't need anymore baggage."

Puffing his cheeks, the fashion designer nodded in agreement.

Kozaki gulped. "S-Shit. You're right...I-I'm sorry, Weise. It's probably for the best."

Weise nodded once again.

The former arsonist looked down, feeling at his wound again. "...To be honest, I feel like I was chewed up and shat out violently. I feel like an idiot. I should've been more cautious. I'm...a wreck."

I patted him on the shoulder. "You should listen to your own advice, dear friend. Don't blame yourself."

He looked to me, biting his lip.

"Hey now." I tapped him. "Come on. Don't hide your feelings from me. You're a terrible liar, Kozaki."

He sighed and shook his head. "I feel so many things. Feeling after feeling piling up. Pain, sorrow, misery, anxiety…"

Weise looked up to Kozaki, tightening their embrace. "A-Are we all going to mourir?"

"No." I tried to be reassuring. "Someone's coming for us, I'm sure."

"How do you know?" Weise asked, sniffling.

If I were to be honest, I don't know. I've wanted to believe for the longest time that _someone_ would come. But as the days pass...as our numbers continued to dwindle…

"Because I believe." I placed a hand over my heart. "I believe that someone will come."

No response. It seems they have lost faith…

I'm sure there's a way I can revitalize their hopes.

"Hey, come on." I tried to cheer them up. "Don't you want to believe the same?"

Weise gulped, looking down. "I-I want to, really. But...but I...I don't believe…"

"Do you want the people watching us to see you've given up?" I crossed my arms. "If we give up, they'll give up on us. Don't you think so?"

Kozaki closed his eyes, thoughtfully. "After all of this, I feel like there's no reason to keep fighting. I've...come to accept that the cycle will-"

I firmly placed my hands onto his shoulders, looking at him in the eyes. "No."

"N-No?" He asked, gulping.

"That's what Monobotto wants you to do, Kozaki. It wants you to give up." I shook him lightly. "You're our leader, you know? We wouldn't be alive now without you. If you give up now, what would that mean?"

The former arsonist sighed, closing his eyes. "It would be letting that bucket of bolts win."

I nodded. "Exactly. So please, don't give up. We can tackle this together, I'm sure. We just need to hold on, and I'm certain someone will come."

He slowly opened his eyes. "I...just find it hard to believe…"

I leaned in lightly, brushing his hair away from his face. "Then let me help you believe, alright?"

We shared our warmth together, Kozaki collapsing his body onto mine. He's tired, so incredibly tired. I'll do all I can to support him, then. I have to, it's a promise.

"Do you think you can believe for us?" I asked him after pulling away.

He forced a smile again. "I can't promise it, but...I'll try."

We sat together, facing each other. We felt as though we were alone together, alone in the universe.

I'm going to do all I can to bring him out of that darkness. He needs a guide, he needs me.

Perhaps I've been making use of my talent this whole time without ever realizing it.

I took Kozaki's hands and squeezed them lightly. "Feeling better?"

He looked back to me, noddin lightly. "Y-Yeah. Thank you."

I chuckled in response. "You know, I still think it's funny how you're an arsonist. You'd think someone like you would be scary, but you're pretty great. I'm glad to be here for you."

He bit his lip, blushing lightly.

Kozaki wasn't the only one to have a reaction to what I said.

"Q-Q-Quoi?!" Weise asked, shocked. "Kozaki is an…an...a-arsonist?!"

…

I think I just made a big mistake.

* * *

~Chapter Four, Daily Life One, End~


	21. A Silenced Cry Daily Life 2

In the moment, I had no idea how to react. I didn't want to panic, as that wouldn't make any part of this situation any better.

Just because I didn't panic, that didn't mean someone else wouldn't…

"W-Wait, I...Weise, hold on!" Kozaki tried to say something, but seemed to have no idea what exactly to say. He felt at his head, trying to find words that he couldn't grasp. "I...I…"

Seeing Kozaki panic only made Weise more frightened. "S-So vous êtes?!"

"Y-Yes, I mean I was, I…" Kozaki struggled to say anything at all.

I quickly tried to make good to calm the situation. "Hold on, Weise. It's not that bad, just...give him a chance to explain himself first."

The fashion designer uneasily listened. "D'accord…"

Looking over to Kozaki, I raised an eyebrow. "You okay there?"

"N-N...I-I am, yes? N-No I'm...I'm…" He covered his face.

I guess that leaves me to try and say something, at least until Kozaki can pick up all the words he dropped onto the floor. "You see, Weise...It's not like that anymore. I-It might be his talent, but-"

"Talent?" Weise gulped. "T-Then...Kozaki was lying that he had pas de talent?"

"Ah, uh...yes?" I sheepishly smiled.

Weise twiddled his fingers. "And...his real talent is...being the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist?"

"Uh...I mean...that would be it?" I grinned, quite awkwardly.

I feel like I'm only making this worse...

"But Kozaki, c'est illégal!" Weise turned to the former arsonist. "You can go to jail!"

Kozaki looked down, sighing. "I've already been, Weise…"

"A-Ah?" The fashion designer gulped again.

"Hey...does that mean you don't want to be friends with me anymore?" Kozaki looked to Weise. "Do I scare you? Are you afraid to be sitting next to me now?"

Weise sniffled. "I still want to be friends avec toi…"

Kozaki's voice grew softer. "Even after knowing I lied to you? After I lied to cover up the fact I'm...a criminal?"

"Non!" Weise hugged Kozaki, shaking his head. "Criminals are the méchants! Y-You're not a bad guy! You're a hero, vous...vous save everyone all the time! That's what heroes do, not criminals!"

Kozaki found himself unable to say anything in response, only returning the hug and patting Weise on the head gently.

"What counts is who you are now." I nodded, patting Kozaki on the shoulder. "And right now...you're our hero. There's nobody else I would rather it be."

He looked over to me, not saying anything. His eyes were full of defeat, that he had accepted he was truly a criminal.

"Would a criminal solve murders and try to keep people alive?" I shook my head. "I wouldn't bet on it. But you know what? You do, Kozaki. Time and Time again you've proven yourself to us that we have no reason to doubt how much you care." I then nodded. "And we care about you in return."

Kozaki sighed, closing his eyes. "They won't care when they hear the truth...Weise will tell everyone, I'm sure…"

Weise looked away. "I…I won't, je promets."

"Huh?" Kozaki was surprised.

"Friends don't sell out their friends." Weise sniffled. "I want to be ton amie, Kozaki. Even if what you did was scary...je...je voudrais be friends! S'il vous plaît?"

Kozaki closed his eyes. "I want that as well, Weise."

I looked to the side, unsure as to what I could say. I wanted to ease Kozaki, though I feared that I would be unable to. Whenever his mind goes in that direction, it takes him a while to recover.

"You two must be starving." I stood up, rubbing my hands together. "I'll go to the kitchen and get something for you. Riko went out earlier, so I'll see if I can catch her to get more food now that Kozaki is awake."

While not responding to me verbally, both Kozaki and Weise nodded. With that, I stepped out to go to the kitchen.

The halls of the Killing Odyssey felt incredibly empty. Beforehand, the place would be full of life. Now that life has been plucked at, one by one. Our numbers are falling, how many of us will be left when help comes?

…

When help comes. But will it come? Am I a fool for hoping, for holding out and holding on tight for what I want to believe?

"Hey, watch it!"

I blinked, looking down in front of me. Mei was there, clutching a plate of chicken curry. Seems I walked all the way to the kitchen without paying attention, and I almost ran her over while she was leaving.

"S-Sorry, Mei." I smiled, scratching the back of my head. "I'm getting food for Kozaki and Weise."

Her angered face shifted to concern. "They're awake now?"

"Yes, but...they need time to recover. I think it's best for now that they stay rested." I tried to explain myself. "And so...here I am. I'm going to get food for them."

Mei nodded in understanding. "I see. Hamoizumi mentioned something about getting food for Vayrne. She's inside right now trying to make crepes."

Getting food for Weise? I thought she was just going to wash his dish...

"Ah, thank you for letting me know." I smiled, nodding.

Mei looked off to the side for a while. "...Kimizai, can I ask you for a favor?"

I tilted my head to the side. "A favor?"

The vigilante nodded walking past me. "Tomorrow morning, meet me in front of the Puzzle Room."

She never gave me the chance to reply…

Why there? Monobotto didn't even put in a puzzle into it yet, right? I wonder what Mei is thinking about.

Ah, not now. I need to check on Riko and the food.

Looking inside, the kitchen was in a state of confusion. Riko was standing besides a frying pan, struggling to flip over what I assume to be a crepe.

"R-Riko, are you okay?" I asked, walking over.

Flustered, Riko looked to me. "Oh, Fraize! I-I do not believe I understand how to cook a crepe!"

"Does it have to be crepes?" I asked, worriedly.

"I fear that perhaps Weise would not like to eat moussaka, and I already prepared shopska salata earlier." Riko sighed, taking the butchered crepe off the heat. "I cannot only cook one type of cuisine. I must be able to prepare a variety as Anne does."

I shook my head, taking the pan out of Riko's hands. "I think that this variety doesn't include desserts, my friend."

Disappointed, Riko walked over to an open chair and leaned back. "What ever shall I do?"

"Why are you even making food in the first place?" I asked her, confused. "You just gave Weise a salad, and he seemed to be content with it."

"Well...it's so strange!" Riko felt at her fedora under mild stress. "Weise always eats crepes, does he not? Now Anne is no longer here to provide any. I must do something, is that not true?"

"I'm sure he won't mind waiting for you to learn how to cook a crepe." I offered her a smile.

She sighed, looking down. "I suppose so. Though, I do believe a snack of some kind would still do well…"

Looking around the kitchen, I nodded and rubbed my hands. "Go to Kozaki and Weise, I think I can take it from here."

"Ah?" The clarinetist looked up.

"Kozaki is awake now, I think he would like to speak with you." I scratched the back of my head. "He uhh...could use some support. Weise found out about...the _thing."_

Worriedly, Riko stood up and held her hands together. "Oh my, then I shall head over to them at once. Thank you for taking over, Fraize."

After watching Riko leave, I rubbed my hands together again to think about what I will prepare. Perhaps something easy, like a bunch of sandwiches.

Ah, but I already made sandwiches earlier. I can't make them again, it would get repetitive fast.

Then perhaps I should make something with some color, some excitement.

…

Aha, I got it!

Pounding my fists together with confidence, I walked over to the fridge to retrieve several tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. Chips and salsa, this should do fine for a dinner meal. Or...is it a breakfast meal for them? Huh…

After putting something together, I grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry and carried over my creation back to the Mono-shift Room. I had to knock on the door and wait, as my hands were too full to open the door myself.

"Oh, there you are. What have you got for us?" Riko asked upon seeing me. She looked down to investigate what I held in my hands. "...Chips and dip? I do not know if this is a good option for a meal…"

"Come on, Riko." I smiled. "You have to give me credit for trying, I made the salsa myself. It will be good, trust me."

"I'm not doubting the flavors." She stepped aside to let me in. "But...I worry this will not suffice."

I walked over to Kozaki and Weise, passing them the tray. "What? Are you saying they should eat a skirt steak right after waking up?"

The clarinetist sighed, holding her hands together. "Perhaps not…"

Weise's cheeks puffed up upon seeing what I had prepared. "Is it spicy?"

"Ah, well...I do have some jalapeño in there." I scratched the back of my head. "Is that an issue?"

Kozaki worriedly took the salsa for himself. "I think Weise has a low spice tolerance. When Mei made a special soup recipe from her grandmother, he had to chug down a whole jug of water…"

I felt guilt upon realizing this. "A-Ah? I'm sorry, I should've asked…"

"Hey, you didn't know." Kozaki smiled, then tasting some salsa with a chip for himself. "And it tastes great."

"Thank you." I sighed, looking to Weise. "Please forgive me for this, my friend."

Weise picked up a chip and had it without salsa. "Non, it's okay. I guess...we just aren't bons amis yet…"

Riko smiled, pulling up a chair. "Then perhaps now would be a great opportunity for us all to become closer, yes?" She giggled, nodding. "An icebreaker shall do us all well! We can all re-introduce ourselves and grow tighter."

I grinned upon hearing her idea. "If we become even closer, then there's no way we can allow for the continuation of this killing game. Right?"

So we spent the night chatting and sharing the chips and salsa that I made, although Weise had to pass on the dip. We talked about our hopes, our dreams. We talked as though we knew we would all escape from this place, as though we knew it was only a matter of time before the game would finally end.

This game is going to end, and I want to be there when it does. I want to walk with my friends into the warmth of the sun, to breathe the fresh air and to hear the birds share their songs. Yes, I want to escape from here. I want to escape with everyone.

I spent so much time hoping and dreaming that I drifted off to sleep, those desires still fresh in my mind.

* * *

"Here you have them. What do you think?"

"Looking at the trends, I'm pretty interested to say the least. Things are changing, for some of them...changing quickly."

"We're going to do an MRI screening for all of them."

"Do you need me to change out real quick?"

"Yes, if that is alright."

"Whatever needs to be done."

Voices...who's voices? Where am I? This place…

I can't move, not even open my eyes. My body feels heavy, so heavy that I can't even wiggle my fingers. I feel cold, the air is stuffy and congested.

Besides the voices, I hear breathing. Breathing from both sides of me. I must be laying in between people. Are they my friends?

"We'll go in order. Prepare the scanner for me."

"Understood."

"Wake Number One, alright?"

"Are you certain you want to do it here and now?"

"Absolutely. My partner wants to speak with him."

"As you wish, Erito."

Erito...Erito...the only cultist, or so I believe, that's ever been named. They treat him like a boss of sorts, the leader.

 **The mastermind…**

I want to believe with all my being that the mastermind is not one of my friends. If naming Erito as the mastermind can give me resolve, so be it. I'm convinced that Erito is the one who has been doing this to us.

"Wh...Where am I…?"

"There he is...hello there, Kozaki Daisuke. You have a lot on your schedule tonight. Please come with us."

"Come with...h-hey! Get off me!"

I heard a door open and close.

…

Erito is doing this to us. I won't accept any other explanation.

Now I'm left, laying in silence.

Get up...get up…

I tried to do everything to push up. I could feel my fingertips wiggle lightly.

Come on now, wake up. Kozaki could be in danger. I...I have to do something…

I rocked my body back and forth, trying to get off. Well...I succeeded. I ended up rolling off and crashing onto the floor, which certainly woke me up.

Five tables.

Kozaki was already gone. Mei and Sayino were both fast asleep. I tried to wake them, but was left with no success at all. Between Mei and Sayino were two empty tables.

Two?

There are five in total...wait a minute.

Are there supposed to be five of us?

I felt at my head, trying to squeeze out some memories. Who could it be? Was it always like this, since the beginning? Where are they now?

Think, Fraize. If this person is installed into whatever program this is, what does that mean?

First of all, maybe I should know what it means for me. I don't even know why I'm part of this. Was it random? Was it planned?

What does it mean for all of us?

...

Now isn't the time to worry about that. Kozaki could be in serious trouble. After all, every time I manage to wake in this place, I hear the cultists talk about him. They talk about how interesting he is, how he surpasses expectations. That makes me worried.

I don't want to just leave Mei and Sayino here alone, though. Maybe I can find a way to secure the door from the inside so that nobody can get to them.

But then...how will I get out of the room? You fool, Fraize.

Then do I...just leave?

I'm not so sure about this, but…

I have to go after Kozaki. Mei can kick ass and Sayino probably can as well. I'm sure they can fight back if they have to.

Then it's decided. I hope they can forgive me for this.

I slowly walked over to the door, opening it as quietly as I could. Nobody else was around as far as I could tell, so I slowly closed the door behind me and tried to think of a plan.

MRI. What are they scanning with that? Is it something about the brain? Scanning all our brains...it's scary. Why would they?

Enough questions. I need to find Kozaki, fast. Where do I go from here?

Wherever than MRI is. Look for signs…

I can't read them. I feel so dizzy, the words blur and move around. My body wants to give away, but I can't afford to do that.

Just wake up, just do something.

Anything at all.

Aha! It's to the left. Alright, then let's-

"Where do you think you're going?"

I turned around to see a single cultist looking right at me. Looks like I have no choice but to head left now, and so that was exactly what I did. I ran to the left, the cultist chasing behind me.

Except it wasn't one, it was two and then suddenly four. Then it became eight, eventually the size growing up to what I guessed was a solid twenty. I'm not going to stop running, even if I have left track of where I was going.

Faster and faster, faster still. Don't let them catch you, not even reach you. Find Kozaki, help him escape.

So many thoughts were racing in my mind, I didn't notice myself bumping into another person. It was a taller man with black hair and blue highlights, a pair of round glasses, and a clean lab coat over a sweater and dress pants. This person was unmasked, and had a very clear individualistic style to him. This person...who is he?

"Oh?" The person smiled, placing his hands to his hips. "Are you Number Six? I didn't expect to meet you in this manner."

I backed away, looking to turn and run in the other direction. However, the other cultists blocked the way.

I'm trapped.

"No need to panic." He smiled, extending a hand. "Let's get to know eachother better. After all, you did come all this way."

My eyes danced around the scene rapidly. That's when I spotted him off to the side, gagged and restrained by two cultists.

I made an effort to try and slip by, reaching out to him. It was to no avail, as the mysterious person held me back with great strength.

"Now, now. We only deal with you one at a time. If you're eager to meet me, just wait until I've finished with Number One." The person pushed me into the custody of the other cultists.

He struggled, managing to push away the other cultists for only a second for him to speak. "Run! Get out, get out of he-!"

Gagged again.

I didn't know what to do, I was frozen in fear. Was it fear? No, I think it was more of an awe, a frightened awe. This person who has so much power, who does not care if their face is known...the alleged partner of Erito…

I tried to reach Kozaki, fearing for him more than for myself. It was no use, however. The other cultists dragged me away, and all I could do was call for his name again and again until there was nothing more from me than a silenced cry.

* * *

My eyes snapped open, my body sweating and shaking with intensity. A nightmare, I must've had a nightmare. A nightmare about what? The memory had already slipped my mind when I tried to recall what is was that scared me so greatly.

All I could feel was loss. My nightmare, I must've lost something dear to me. Perhaps that is why I feel so panicked right now.

Deep breaths, pull yourself together.

What time is it?

I took out my Bottolet to see it was already about nine-thirty. I slept through the morning bell, didn't I?

Mei, that's right. Mei asked to meet me.

Slowly standing up from the bed, I noticed I was alone in the room. Riko, Kozaki, and Weise must've already gone out for breakfast.

Hey, is this really okay? Kozaki and Weise...did they have enough time to recover?

I'll know when I see them later. For now, I need to meet up with Mei and see what she wants.

When I arrived, I met her by the Puzzle Room entrance. I was nervous, to be honest. The Puzzle Room is always involved in some way with a murder...I certainly don't want history to repeat itself…

"You kept me waiting." The vigilante crossed her arms.

"Ah, I'm sorry." I scratched the back of my head. "Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

She sighed and looked off to the side for a while. "Why do you _think_ I asked you to come?"

"Eh?" I blinked.

She sighed once again, this time with a more annoyed tone. " _Why else_ , Kimizai?"

I looked down for a moment before making eye contact with her. "Me?"

"Of course, you. I need your help." She pointed to me. "I need you to do the puzzle with me."

"But there isn't even a puzzle loaded in. Monobotto always announces when there is one." I shook my head.

Mei frowned, then holding up her Bottolet. "Someone didn't check their notifications, then."

There was a notification from Monobotto. It says...this is the final randomly generated puzzle before a permanent puzzle will be installed into the room. Maybe that's why Mei feels motivated to do this.

Ah, but that's right. I did disable my notifications. It was when Monobotto was me with its fanfictions. All it took was one read for me to turn them off, as there was no option to block Monobotto at all.

The fanfiction about Kozaki and I...it was so distasteful that even the thought of it makes me cringe. Not to mention it looks as though it was written by a child. Who calls it a 'Fantastic Dinner Dash' but has the whole thing about how Kozaki apparently loses his nose ring - which he doesn't even own - and then end it with...with…

Gah! I'm going to give that robot a piece of my mind! It's an insult to literature, not to mention inaccurate as heck! I don't even have a manhood that long!

Uneasily, I looked away. "Mei, I...I don't feel comfortable in going in there. Every single murder has had the Puzzle Room involved in some way. I think this place is cursed, to be honest…"

"What, are you saying we're both going to be cursed and die later on?" She frowned, unenthused.

"I mean, hopefully not!" I gulped. "But...we could very well die _in_ the puzzle as well."

Mei tugged on her jacket, closing her eyes in extreme focus. It seems she's not going to give up on trying to convince me to come. "Would you do it for Daisuke?"

"Huh?" I asked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"He was able to convince you to come with him, right?" She raised an eyebrow. "If I ask him to convince you on my behalf, would you do it?"

I shook my head. "There are several flaws in your plan, Mei. That would assume he would even agree with you in the first place."

"Oh, he would." She replied rather confidently.

That response felt as though it was a threat. "If you point your gun at him, sure. But you don't have your gun now. No, he wouldn't do it."

"Kimizai, the prize of the Puzzle Room." Mei pointed to the door. "What about the prize?"

"What do you mean 'the prize' of the room? We don't even know what's there." I frowned, lightly. "Mei, I'm not coming with you. I'm sorry." With that, I turned to leave.

"Kimizai, wait!" She called after me.

I shook my head, continuing to walk.

"Fraize!"

I stopped, slowly turning around. "...Mei?"

She looked down, sighing. "Please come with me, Fraize. I need your help…"

She said my name again. Mei never calls anyone by their first name. Is this...supposed to show how serious she is about this?

…

"Okay." I walked back over to her. "But on one condition."

"What is it?" She asked, looking to me.

I took in a deep breath. "Don't let me die there."

She nodded, I could see the seriousness in her eyes. Despite her lone-wolf nature, she is probably one of the few people I would trust with my life. I'm depending on her.

With that, we both entered the room with the door closing behind us.

This puzzle...it's not a maze this time. Well, I suppose they can't _all_ be mazes. What is this?

Looks like a wide and long platform of some kind, branching out to different places. There's some sort of checkerboard pattern on it, with five different colors. What could this be?

Mei directed my attention, pointing to the wall. Looks like there's rules here laid out.

"Each square has a different color." She frowned, rolling her eyes. "No shit."

"Red squares are deadly. Step on them, and your bracelet will give you a lethal injection." I gulped.

"Yellow squares will stun you if stepped on." Mei crossed her arms. "You'll lose five seconds of time."

So this is a timed trial, huh? Hmm…

"Green squares make you dizzy the longer you step on them." I continued to read. "Blue squares are slippery, but do not hurt you."

"Lastly, the white squares." Mei looked back towards the puzzle. "White squares do not do anything at all."

Alright, alright. So then...what's the point of this puzzle anyway?

"What are we supposed to do? Just...cross the whole platform?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes, but there's one catch." Mei pointed to two large branches. "We have to activate a drawbridge that will have the puzzle reach the ending. That means switching levers from two different branches."

I see, I see...I think I understand.

"There's a time limit to this, right?" I turned to the vigilante.

"Two time limits." Mei looked back to me, crossing her arms. "One person gets fifteen minutes, the other person gets twenty."

One person gets more time than the other? That's a little scary…

"I'll take the shorter time." Mei nodded, trying to reassure me. "I can handle it."

I took some time to think, then shaking my head. "No. I can take it."

"What?" She seemed to be surprised.

I smiled, sheepishly. "Well, if I die…I know you'll make it through with the extra time."

The vigilante frowned, pointing at me. "Don't talk like that, Kimizai. You and I are going to make it out, mark my words. Now let's do this, and stay close to me."

We stepped onto the platform. I looked to Mei, laughing nervously. "I'll stick to you like glue, don't worry."

But I was shaking, I could feel my heart racing. I'm the worried one. I'm scared. Will I die here?

No, I can't die here. I have to make it out. I need to clear my mind.

"Students detected. Mei Jiana and Ramón Loarte. Do you wish to proceed?" A female voice prompted us.

"...Ramón Loarte?" Mei turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

It seems this place insists to identify me by my birth name, save for the nameplate on my bedroom door. When I received my Bottolet, I had to go out of my way to get Monobotto to put in my new name into the tablet.

"Sheesh. Picky-are-you-?" It asked. "What-difference-does-it-make-? One-name-or-another. They're-both-who-you-are."

"Just change it." I frowned, clutching the tablet.

"It-isn't-a-big-deal-you-fool." It was completely disinterested in doing anything.

But it was a big deal. It still is. My name is very important to me. I don't want to be connected to my father, that being why I changed my name in the first place. My new name means a lot to me, my new name is the me I want others to see.

Ramón was violent, angry, scared, insecure, and controlled by his father.

Fraize is supportive, chipper, enthusiastic, optimistic...Fraize is happy. I want to be Fraize and never go back.

"It's no big deal." I lied. "Let's talk about it later. We...need to get this puzzle done first."

After eyeing at me for a while, Mei looked forward and nodded. "Yes. Ready to continue."

With a sigh, I looked forwards as well. "I'm ready as well."

A metal bracelet was latched onto my right wrist, I could see a small stream of blood dripping out. The sight made me woozy, but I did my best to shake it off.

At this point, there's only one thing to do: Finish the puzzle, or die.

Mei made quick work walking across the platform. She stopped at a white square and turned back to me, crossing her arms. "Come on, Kimizai."

I took things a little slower than Mei did, being extra careful not to step on any red squares. I've had a few instances where I slipped on a blue square onto a green square, but I would always have Mei by my side to get me out of trouble.

"Okay. You'll have to handle this branch by yourself." Mei pointed towards a lever. "Please, be quick and careful. Be on your toes, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." I saluted her, then parting ways for the moment.

How much time do I have left? I don't have any way to check, which is making me feel quite uneasy.

Nevermind that. If I'm distracted, I could trip up and step on a red square. Take some deep breaths, let's get this puzzle done.

I did everything I could to step forward with caution. I was forced at times to step onto blue squares, even getting stunned at one point. However, my determination to succeed carried me all the way to the lever and back, having me meet with Mei. She was waiting for me, having already flipping her own lever.

"There you are." She sighed, nodding. "The bridge is down. If we can just cross without fucking it up, we'll be in the clear. The only issue is that the difficulty has spiked up, and there are no white squares until the end of the puzzle. I need you to stay by me." The vigilante turned to me. "Understand?"

"You got it." I nodded, preparing to take off. The distance itself wasn't far, just that there were many spots open where things could go horribly wrong.

"Ready?" Mei asked me before looking forwards.

Before I could give her a response, I heard a beeping sound that caught my attention.

The time.

Am I...out of time?

"Move, damn it! The exit is open!" Mei yelled at me.

I glanced around, quickly mapping out the floor that I would have to navigate. Running forward, I could hear the beeping grow louder and louder.

I'm not going to make it, am I?

"Faster, idiot!" Mei caught up to me, grabbing my hand. "I'm not letting you die here, Kimizai!"

It was growing louder and louder. We ran faster and faster.

Louder, louder...then it stopped.

Panting, I dropped to my knees to catch my breath. The bracelets clicked, unlocking themselves.

Safe, we made it out...we're alive…

I stepped on more green squares than I wanted to, causing me to feel a little nauseous. It was either them, or what seemed to be certain death.

"Are you okay?" Mei asked, kneeling besides me.

"Y-Yeah." I took in a deep breath. "Thank you for saving me. I...owe you my life."

"You owe me nothing." She stood up. "I told you we would make it out, and we did."

Standing up as well, I chuckled. "I suppose you're right, hehe. I guess we did, didn't we?"

Mei looked to the bracelet on her wrist, frowning. She pulled it out and tossed it onto the floor. "Let's just get the prize already, okay?"

"You're right." I took hold of the bracelet on my wrist, but hesitated to take it off.

"Need help?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head. "No, I can handle it."

Skeptically, she shrugged. "If you say so…"

With that, I pulled off the bracelet and dropped it onto the floor. My wrist felt sore, so I gave it a squeeze to try and soothe it. That brought little success.

"Alright, let's see what we've got." Mei opened the prize door, revealing several different chests inside. Squinting her eyes, she opened a chest. "...Oh, hey."

"What is it?" I asked, walking over.

"This wouldn't happen to belong to you, would it?" Mei pulled my whistle from the chest.

"Ah! My whistle!" I smiled as she handed it to me. "Now that's a weight off my shoulders."

"Judging by the number of chests, I'm guessing everyone's precious items are here." The vigilante examined another chest.

I tied my whistle back around my wrist as a bracelet. "Ah? That's fantastic! Everyone's precious items…"

Wait a moment. Everyone's precious items…

I have a bad feeling about this.

"My gun." Mei grinned, retrieving her own item. "Perfect. I'll shoot Monobotto clear in the head."

"Y-You really shouldn't." I shook my head. "You'll be punished for it."

"Damn." Mei strapped the gun to the belt around her waist. "Help me out here, won't you?"

I opened a chest to find a silver clarinet with gold rims. "This must be Riko's. I'm sure she'll be very happy to play music with it again!"

We went through many other chests, finding more items one by one. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, though my fears only continued to grow. I know Kozaki stated his precious item was a photo with his family, but that was only a lie. He never actually disclosed to me what his precious item is, but because of his talent I can only imagine it to be-

"A flamethrower?" Mei raised an eyebrow in surprise.

...If there was ever a time I wanted to phase through the floor and disappear, it would be now.

"Judging by process of elimination, it has to belong to Kozaki." She crossed her arms. "I know he said he doesn't have a talent, but...why would a flamethrower be important to him?"

I have to come up with some kind of lie, or else we might be in big trouble...what do I even say?!

"Kozaki told me when he was little, he would light bonfires for the kids in his neighborhood." I smiled, nodding. "I think it's the fire part that is precious, not the flamethrower itself."

Mei seemed to be satisfied with that answer. "Stimulating a childhood memory, I see." She picked it up, shrugging. "Alright, then. That's all of them."

"How are we going to carry all of this back?" I asked, scratching the back of my head. "We could make multiple trips, but...what about Sayino's motorcycle?"

"That's easy." Mei pointed to me. "You'll drive it over to her."

"W-What?" I asked, nervously.

"You're at the age where you can legally drive, aren't you?" She smiled. "So, do the honors."

"Wait, please!" I objected. "We're in outer space, Mei! Those rules don't matter here! You could drive it if you wanted to!"

"Ah." She grinned. "And I don't want to, so you will drive it. Understand? Great." She then picked up several items and began to leave. "You're the best, Kimizai."

I fumbled for words. "B-But...wait, I…!" Sighing, I looked back over to the motorcycle. It had to be me…

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted by the sight of darkness, but not the sound of silence.

Sobbing.

Whose voice did the weeping belong to? Why am I hearing such sounds of misery?

Shouting in the apartment, there's a fight going on between my parents again.

I pulled the blankets over my head to try and place myself into another world. A world where warmth always held me, where I could shut away all the horrible things that were surrounding me.

Even then, there was no use. My father's voice penetrated the room, slamming itself into my head so that I'd never forget. I'm terrified, scared to death.

At times like these, I'd go to my sister Annette and we would hold each other tightly, but when I went to check her bed I found it empty. Where is she?

My eyes traveled over to our bedroom door. Did she go out?

I walked over to the door, feeling myself shaking more and more the closer I approached. My father's thundering voice only grew louder, I was considering leaping back under the blankets.

Cracking the door open, I took a peak at the scene of the living room. What I witnessed was imprinted into my mind forever. My father beating my mother with a book, shouting such awful words.

"Bitch! You bitch! Slut!"

It took my everything not to cry out of fear. My sister, where is my sister?

My sister was there, yelling back. "Stop it! You're bullying mother!"

"Stay out of this, damn you!" My father grabbed Annette by the hair and yanked her away. He then used the book to repeatedly bash her.

I didn't know what to do. I just felt deep down that I had to do _something_. Well, I did do something. I screamed. I screamed as loud as I could and ran to the front door.

"Damn it! Don't you fucking dare!" My father yelled at me.

I ignored him, throwing the door open and bolting out, still screaming. "Somebody help! My father is trying to kill my family!"

Despite what time it was, our neighbors woke up and came to my aid. They dragged my father out of the apartment, restraining him until police officers came and took him away.

"Ramón!" My father tried to reach for me. "I hope you die, Ramón! I'd have killed that bitch! You son of a bitch! I hope your brains get blown out, you piece of shit!"

I felt my whole body shake in fear. I looked my father in his eyes, his spiralling eyes of hell. I looked at my sister, at my mother. The blood on their faces, the faces of people I loved and held dear. I covered my own face, crying as my body only shook more violently. I knew my father was a horrible man. I knew he had callusions with the mafia. I knew so many terrible things about my father, but he silenced me. He silenced our whole family.

I couldn't stay silent anymore, and now that I've opened my mouth...what will happen? Will the mafia come after us? Will the mafia kill us?

I spilled, I spilled everything. I begged for our neighbors to save my family, I was terrified. They all pitched in to move us away, out of Madrid. One of them had connections with family who owned an apartment in Barcelona. We were moved into that apartment.

It wasn't much, but it was the best we could have. We changed our names, all of us. Changed surnames, changed identities. Annette couldn't change her first name, though. She loved her name, despite everything. She wanted to hold on to the past, to the belief that there were good memories and good times…

I couldn't force her. So instead, I became extremely protective of her. My precious sister, I had to save her from a threat that was no longer there.

Why? Why did everything happen so fast? We're free, but it doesn't feel like freedom. My mind isn't free at all. Even now, with my father taken out of my life, he's holding onto my mind.

Ramón, I hope you die. Die a terrible death.

…

My mother walked over, sitting besides me on the couch that faced the balcony. "My son, what's the matter?"

The matter was that this all happened six months ago, and it was still fresh in my mind. It would still be fresh, it would still linger on. I escaped without my mind being set free. I'm trapped with the thought of my father looming over me.

Why was it that night out of all nights that pushed things over the edge?

"My son…" My mother hugged me tenderly. "I'm having twins any day now."

* * *

Mei gathered everyone around the Grand Staircase, passing out all the precious items we recovered.

"Yo, is that my girl Kassy?!" Sayino gave me a tight hug, even lifting me off my feet. "Fraize, you beautiful bastard! I'm gobsmacked! Thank you!"

"A-Ah?" I was surprised by her sudden hug. "Y-You're welcome but...put me down, please!"

"Oh, my bad." Sayino sheepishly grinned as she lowered me to the ground.

I looked around, spotting Kozaki sitting off to the side with his hood pulled over his hair. The sight worried me, so I took his flamethrower and walked over to offer it to him. "Dear friend, are you alright?"

He looked up to me, sighing lightly and nodding. "Yeah…"

I sat besides him, passing over his precious item. "What's the matter? You're wearing your hood again, it doesn't suit you at all."

Kozaki gulped, tugging on his hood lightly. "I just...haven't been feeling well today, I'm sorry. With everything that's happened recently…"

Could it be...he doesn't trust anyone? Does he think that he opened up too much? That because of being part of our community, he got so terribly hurt? That he got others hurt as well?

"Kozaki…" I sighed, looking down.

There was an awkward silence between us. He sighed, holding his flamethrower tightly. "...Fraize, thank you."

"Hmm?" I tilted my head, lightly.

"For...getting my item for me." He chuckled. "Honestly, I...don't know what I'm going to do about it now that I have it, but...it means a lot. How did you even find all our items?"

I crossed my arms, looking forward. "Puzzle Room."

He seemed to be startled by my response. "Y-You and Mei?"

I showed him my wounded wrist as proof. "I would've been in real trouble if she wasn't there, but it _was_ Mei in the first place who invited me. Haha, I might've been toast!"

"D-Don't joke like that." He gulped. "T-That place is dangerous, Fraize."

"What? Do you think I'm going to die now?" I leaned in, winking. "Come on, now. Everyone has their precious items back. Surely help is on the way, so there's no reason for there to ever be a murder again."

"Did-someone-say-murder-?" Monobotto rolled over.

…

I think I need to stop opening my mouth.

"Monobotto? You haven't been around for a while. I was starting to miss you." Mei frowned, tugging on her jacket. " _I'm sooo happy to see you again."_

"Thank-you-for-your-warm-welcome-Mei-Jiana." Monobotto replied, knowing that she was being sarcastic but brushing it off.

"Monobutto, we're busy." Kyohi clutched his hockey stick lightly. "Why can't we have some good times around here?"

The robot tilted its head in response. "Where-is-the-drama-in-good-times-?"

Drama, views, money...that's all Monobotto cares about. Not the lives that get the drama. Not the lives that bring in the views. Not the lives that bring in all that money.

All to continue the cycle. This dance of life and death, this spiral of money and blood.

"Hold-on-to-your-hats-! I-have-the-new-motive-here-!" Monobotto pumped a first into the air. "Now-pay-attention-you-fools-!"

Another motive? So soon?

We just can't catch a break, can we? Honestly, I think everyone here is too tired to want to kill someone at this point. If the last trial didn't convince anyone that murder to escape is impossible and incredibly stupid, nothing will.

"Hey, Monobotto, when the fuck will you stop making all these things?!" Kozaki asked, angered.

Monobotto tilted its head. "Oh-? Isn't-it-obvious-? The-last-motive-will-be-given-when-three-survivors-remain."

Three survivors? Why such a specific number?

"If a murder happens then...a trial would be impossible." Mest pressed his index finger against his forehead. "As there would be one spotless against one blackened, and it is likely they would vote for each other."

"Correct." Monobotto nodded. "Due-to-the-stalemate-the-killing-game-would-end."

And those two would be able to escape…

…

No, I won't accept this! Only two survivors?! Surely this game is over by now, right?

We all have our precious items now, we can all...be happy together. We can live together, waiting for help to arrive. Help...help it coming. I still haven't given up on it, and I refuse to give up on it as well.

"Just get to the motive already." Zraiko clutched his flash drive, frowning. It seems he wants to skip through this so he can get straight to his programming. I wonder what impressive codes are stored onto his flash drive anyways...probably something far too complex for a humble tour guide like myself to understand.

Monobotto spun around. "You've-got-it-! Here-is-the-motive-!"

The robot proceeded to shoot out envelopes towards us. I looked down to my hands confusedly to see the envelope in my possession had Riko's name written on the front. What is this?

"Each-of-you-have-a-letter-containing-a-secret-from-another-student-here." The robot began to explain. "These-secrets-have-been-selected-with-a-purpose. They-will-reveal-something-in-direct-conflict-to-you."

...A conflict? Riko? What sort of secret…?

I shook my head, slipping the letter into my pocket. No, I'm not going to read it. Reading it will only cause a murder, I'm sure.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Riko's envelope had my name on it. I'm...quite confused, to be honest. I have a secret that would be conflicting to her?

…

"Hey, Monobotto?" Sayino raised a hand. "Do we _have_ to read these?"

"No." It responded. "But-human-curiosity-will-drive-you-to-do-so-anyways. I-am-certain."

Deep breaths.

"Alright, then." She stood up, in front of Monobotto to block it from our sights. Facing us all, the motorcyclist grinned and nodded. "Everyone, let's all agree to not open these letters."

"Sayino-Makora. Please-move-away-from-me. None-of-the-fools-can-see-my-glorious-face." It buzzed, annoyed.

But Sayino ignored it, placing her hands at her hips. "Are we fools?! Well, we damn will be if we just read those silly motive letters! We have a choice, don't we?"

"I agree." Mest stood up as well, then preparing to walk upstairs. "There is no need for unnecessary conflict."

With murmurs of consent, everyone slipped their envelopes away and prepared to head off to other directions.

"Wait. Fools-! You-fools-!" Monobotto tried to get our attention. However it was ignored as we all headed on our way.

"Au revoir, silly robot!" Weise giggled, waving to the robot and walking away.

I figured I may as well head off to rest in my dorm, but I was stopped by Kozaki. "Fraize, wait."

"Hmm?" I turned to him. "Is something wrong?"

Kozaki slowly pulled out an envelope, not the one from the motive. On it was written the title, _'Danganronpa.'_

"This is the letter Tikari gave me before she died." Kozaki clutched it. "I have to read it, for them. For all of us. This could have all the secrets we've been looking for. We could find a way to end this. Please, I need you with me."

"What do you mean?" I asked him, worriedly.

He lowered the envelope, looking me in the eyes. "If this letter is secretly a motive, I need you to knock me out. I need you to tell the others, and keep me as far away from them as you can. Tie me up, throw away the key, whatever. I promised I would never kill someone, and I'm serious about it."

After taking some time to process what he requested, I nodded. "I understand. Let's go together, in that case."

And so, we headed off to his dorm room to see what secrets were hiding in the mysterious envelope. I held my breath, feeling my hands shake lightly. I'm nervous about what we will find, nervous and terrified. Kozaki looked to me for a moment, then slowly opening the envelope.

What we found...was horrifying.

* * *

The envelope spilled out photographs. Photographs of...all of us. All sixteen of us. Our names, our talents…

It almost looked like...promotional material. There was artwork of us, as if a professional artist was hired to create them. Profiles, our likes and our dislikes, everything up for display.

The scariest part, every bit of information was accurate. Atleast, the information about me.

A short bio about me, as though it was introducing me to a crowd of people. People who would want to know about me, or...should I call it my _character?_

Super-Highschool-Level Tour Guide. That title...it just rubs me the wrong way. Sure, I'm a tour guide. But...what is this about Super-Highschool-Level stuff?

It seems it bothers Kozaki as well. He squinted his eyes at his own title, then shaking his head and sighing. "I don't get this. I don't get it at all, Fraize. Why would people want to watch us kill each other?"

I looked over to a folded piece of paper on the floor, then picking it up and reading its contents. " _Danganronpa_ is a reality television program about sixteen talented individuals trapped in a killing game. For every murder they are tasked with outing and eliminating the blackened, or else death awaits. With intense drama between these people with death around every corner, will the **mastermind** be found before it's too late?"

...Huh?

Kozaki looked over to the passage in my hands, eyes widening lightly. "Mastermind...mastermind!"

"Is something wrong, Kozaki?" I asked, looking to him and noticing his sudden change in behavior.

"Mastermind, Fraize!" Kozaki felt at his face in realization. "If...if we can just find who the mastermind is and stop them, we won't have to play this game anymore!" He then took my hands and squeezed them. "We don't have to keep killing each other if we can out the mastermind. We can escape, all of us!"

"But Kozaki...does this mastermind even…" I looked to the side, thinking. "Does this mastermind even reside here in the killing game?"

"No." Kozaki looked down, frowning. "It's not one of us, I'd bet my life on it."

"Then it's one of the cultists?" I pulled my hands away to feel at my head. "Kozaki, how would we even be able to out the mastermind?"

"We have to lure them into a trap." He began to draw out a plan. "Get them to expose themselves here. Yes, I know we can do it. We _have_ to do it. We-"

"Stop." I placed my hands onto his shoulders. "Stop and breathe, okay? One step at a time."

"Sorry…" He sighed, looking down. "I just...I don't want anyone else to die, Fraize."

"Neither do I. But…" I leaned in. "I don't want you to get yourself killed chasing after a mastermind we can't reach."

The former arsonist closed his eyes, nodding in understanding. "...Thank you for looking out for me."

"For now…" I turned to the door. "We need to tell the others about this special rule. If we can all work together to find the mastermind, this killing game will finally end." I looked back to him, smiling. "Right?"

Kozaki nodded again. "You're right."

We parted ways for the time being in order to gather everyone together. I started with the people I knew where I could locate, that being Zraiko and Mest. Recently I've noticed they've been hanging out together in the hacker's Shift Room often.

Ah, I shouldn't call it 'hanging out' per se, more of how they're both invested in finding a way for us to escape together.

"An emergency meeting?" Zraiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're laying out a game plan." I nodded. "It would be great if you could come."

Zraiko seemed as though he would turn it down, but Mest stepped in quickly. "We would be happy to attend."

"We would?" Zraiko asked, turning to the tattoo artist.

Mest placed a hand onto Zraiko's shoulder, leaning in. "Yes. We would."

"Ah, fantastic!" I grinned. "See you at the dining room!"

I didn't actually plan a meeting place with Kozaki in advance. I sent him a message with my Bottolet telling him to have everyone gather at the dining room, mostly to have an excuse for me to eat food during our gathering. I had yet to eat anything today and it was already approaching noon.

Once I arrived, I noticed Mei was absent from the group.

"She's not coming?" I asked to Kozaki.

"I couldn't find her." He admitted, sighing. "You know how Mei is...just kinda wandering around wherever she wants."

"Ah, then I'll send her a message on my Bottolet to ask her to come." I smiled, preparing to write the next.

Kozaki nodded, then looking to everyone else. "Hey, everyone. This will be...pretty short of a meeting." He sighed, standing up from his seat. "Fraize and I opened the _Danganronpa_ envelope."

"Quoi?" Weise asked, gulping. "What was in it?"

"Promotional material, featuring all of us." The former arsonist frowned. "For a new season of the show."

The room was filled with uneasy murmurs. I lowered my Bottolet to speak up and support my dear friend. "Everyone, Kozaki and I have found something incredibly important about the rules."

"The rules?" Riko held her hands together, worriedly. "Is this a rule that Monobotto chose to withhold from us?"

Kozaki sighed nodding. "Yes. This rule...could end the killing game."

Kyohi pumped a fist, determined. "Let's hear it, Kozaki! What's the rule?"

After taking in a deep breath, Kozaki held up the paper for everyone to see. "If we can out the mastermind of the killing game, we'll be able to escape. Nobody else will have to die. It'll be over, all over."

Everyone looked around, then looking back to us.

"Monobotto told Zraiko the mastermind was closer than we think." Sayino scratched the back of her head. "That would make them one of us, right?"

"No, it can't be one of us." Kozaki frowned, shaking his head. "It has to be a cultist. Why...Why would any of us do something like this? We're all suffering here for the entertainment of others! I won't believe it." He closed his eyes. "I refuse to believe it."

"Oui, I agree!" Weise puffed his cheeks, pumping his fists lightly. "The mastermind is not one of us!"

"Well...what's the plan?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms.

The former arsonist looked to the side, unsure of what to say. The plan, what is our plan?

I patted him firmly on the shoulder. When he looked to me, I flashed a grin and gave him a thumbs up to support him. "Well, leader? What do you say?"

Kozaki slowly reached for his hood, smiling lightly. It seemed he was ready to return to us, as he prepared to pull off the hood and show his face to us once more.

Just then, the dining room door was opened with a violent force. Mei entered, gritting her teeth. I've never seen such anger before from her. In one hand, I could see she had opened the motive envelope. Mei was holding up her gun in her other hand, aiming right at Kozaki.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now." She asked, breathing with intensity.

He raised his hands up in a panic. "M-Mei, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Oh, I'll tell you what's wrong! You're a liar!" She walked over to the table, still aiming at him. She took the envelope and slammed it onto the table with the letter open for us all to see. "No talent my ass! I'm fucking pissed!"

He gulped, voice shaking. "I-I can explain, it's a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding how?! I think I understand it perfectly!" She continued to aim at him.

"I swear, Mei! Just let me tell you!" He insisted.

Furiously, she raised her voice. "What could you _possibly_ tell me to make me believe you won't try to kill us all, _Mister Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist?!"_

A silence swept the room.

* * *

~Chapter Four, Daily Life Two, End~


	22. A Silenced Cry Daily Life 3

"...Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist?" Sayino looked over to Kozaki. "Hey, I thought you said you didn't have a talent."

"Obviously it means he was lying about it." Zraiko frowned slightly, adjusting his glasses. "And if this was a killing motive, it means it must be true."

Kozaki covered his face in shame, shaking his head lightly. He didn't say anything in response, it looked like he was too afraid to.

"Please wait!" Riko stepped forward to defend Kozaki. "We mustn't have a fight!"

Mei eyed at the clarinetist. "Arsonism is a _crime_ , Hamoizumi. Kozaki is a _criminal._ "

I made an effort to try and do something. "Mei, please. This is a killing motive. Monobotto _wants_ you to kill him because of this!"

"I want to kill him as well." Her finger twitched at the trigger of her revolver.

Defensively, I stood in front of Kozaki. "Stop it, Mei. I'm serious about this."

"I'll shoot you if you don't move out of the way, Kimizai." The vigilante gritted her teeth. " _Move out of my fucking way."_

Kyohi made an effort to pull the weapon out of Mei's hands, but she quickly veered her body out of the way to keep the gun out of his reach.

"Mei, stop!" The hockey player continued to try to disarm her. "This...this killing game's getting into your head!"

"Back away from me, Hayai." Mei dodged again. "I'm only here for Daisuke, that's it."

Kyohi shut his eyes and swung his fist, actually managing to hit Mei's shoulder. "No, you shouldn't be here for anyone!"

The vigilante hesitated to retaliate. After all, Kyohi doesn't usually resort to such brash means...these days he's become much more...easily angered. This whole killing game, it's changing us. Kyohi used to be much more of a pacifist, but…

It's not just him. I'm...I'm changing as well. I'm getting more angered, I'm...getting more violent.

"Enough, Mei." The hacker shook his head. "We'll settle this as a group. You do not decide what happens to Kozaki, even if the motive was sent to you."

Mei shut her eyes, it seemed as though she actually was considering to listen to the hacker.

"...No…" Kozaki whispered. "It's okay...she's right…"

I turned around to look at him. "What?"

The former arsonist looked at his hands, biting his lip. "I'm...I am a criminal. I...have no right to oppose her. After all...she's a vigilante. She...she disposes of criminals. That's her talent."

I moved my hand lightly over to Kozaki, but then bit my lip and pulled it back. I...I don't know what to say...

After an uncertain pause, the vigilante spoke up. "Nobody move except for Daisuke." Mei aimed towards him again. "I won't hesitate to shoot...now come with me."

Weise shook his head lightly. "N-Non, you can't...you can't, Mei! Ne le tue pas!"

"I'm not going to kill him." She looked down. "...I'll just...do something to stop me from killing him."

Uneasily, I looked from Mei to Kozaki, then from Kozaki back to Mei.

"Fraize…" Kozaki tugged on my hand lightly.

I slowly looked back to him.

"It's okay. I'll go with her." He forced a smile. "Take care of things for me, alright?"

I wanted to reject the favor he was asking of me, but...when I looked him in the eyes, when I saw the pain he was trying to hide, I caved. "...Okay."

We were all left standing in place as Mei walked with Kozaki out from the dining room.

I didn't want to just stand there, but that look in Mei's eyes….that rage, that dead seriousness and void...I feared that even stepping forward would render me deformed into a state of Swiss cheese thanks to a round of bullets.

It's unfair, so unfair.

"Are we...just going to leave them alone?" Sayino asked, uneasily. "I don't trust this."

"Well, if Kozaki winds up dead, at least we'll know who killed him." Zraiko crossed his arms.

Kyohi frowned at the hacker. "We can't leave Kozaki to die. It doesn't matter if we know Mei killed him. We...We have to stop all this death!"

"Then let's go after them." The motorcyclist walked towards the door. "Are we in agreement?"

"Yes, certainly." Riko walked over, holding her hands together. "We mustn't allow for another murder. Let us hurry before trouble arises."

With murmurs of agreement, everyone exited the dining room en masse.

I noticed that the _Danganronpa_ letter and its contents were left behind on the dining room table in midst of the chaos, including Mei's motive letter. I made quick effort to grab them so they wouldn't be forgotten about. Otherwise Monobotto might swipe them and all the truths they held.

When I arrived at the dorms area, I could see Mei guarding Kozaki's door, arms crossed and frowning. Did she...did she lock him inside?

"Mei, please! You must understand that this is what Monobotto wants!" Riko tried to convince Mei to lay off. "There was a reason this was a killing motive, correct? We mustn't let this end in another death. Please, let Kozaki out!"

"It's none of your business, Hamoizumi." Mei shook her head. "I'm doing this to protect everyone."

"Protect everyone?" Kyohi crossed his arms. "From what? Kozaki's done nothing but good for all of us!"

"Yeah, I mean...this whole time he's been advocating to end the game and everything." Sayino nodded in agreement. "He's always leading in trials and solving murders, the very idea that he would try to hurt us based on everything he's done...it's a bit rubbish, innit?"

"Did you know?" Mei pointed to Sayino. "Did you know about his talent? You're awfully accepting of this."

"No, I didn't…" Sayino placed her hands at her hips. "But I do know who Kozaki is. That hasn't changed this whole time."

Mei looked around to all of us. "How many of you knew about his talent, then?"

Riko nervously looked away. "I knew from when we first met, waking up here…"

"I found out when he and Riko were looking around his Shift Room together." The hockey player nodded. "I was a bit...uncomfortable about it at first, but I let Kozaki's 'self' speak louder than his talent. I know I can trust him, even now."

"I found out when we all went to his room together." I scratched the back of my head. "He personally told me everything about it, to show he trusted me. That...made me trust him back enough to share some private information about myself."

Mei seemed to understand I was alluding to the truth behind my name. She then looked over as Mest coughed into his hand.

"When you are someone who tends to listen more than speak…" The tattoo artist pressed his index finger to his temple. "You gather plenty of bits of information. Kozaki's talent was no surprise to me."

"You expected it?" The vigilante questioned.

"To call it expectation would be incorrect…" Mest crossed his arms. "It was more of...a calculation."

Why does Mest always have to be so cryptic when it comes to important information? It's a bit annoying. Ah, no. Annoying isn't the right word. It would be better if he were to clearly communicate with us to speed things up. I suppose it's better to say that his cryptic words are...a bit of a bother.

Zraiko shrugged his arms. "I always thought the topic of Kozaki's talent was weird. I didn't expect this to be the outcome." He looked to the side. "I might be discomforted around him for now, but…" He glanced to Mest. "Besides burning the kitchen down, he seems to have control over his talent. The way you shoved him into his room was foolish."

Mei squinted her eyes, not commenting on what the hacker had to say.

Weise slowly raised his hand. "Je...Je found out yesterday. B-By accident…"

By accident? You're being a bit too generous with your words, Weise. I was...careless. I don't want to say I forgot you existed, but...I got too fixated on trying to help Kozaki feel better.

Help Kozaki feel better. How is he feeling right now? Surely being locked in his room alone isn't a good feeling at all.

"Mei, let me in." I pointed to the door. "You're convinced Kozaki is trustworthy by now, right?"

But the vigilante refused. "No. He needs to be isolated for now."

"W-Why do such a cruel thing?" Kyohi frowned, lightly. "That's only gonna make it worse."

"Because I don't give a damn if _you_ trust him." Mei pointed to herself with her thumb. "What matters to me is if _I_ trust him. Frankly, I don't. For his sake, he needs to be kept away from us."

"For his sake?" Zraiko asked, skeptically. "I don't know much about psychology, but this seems to be a very bad call."

"It won't let him get murdered, for one." Mei tugged on her jacket.

"Murdered?! By who?!" Kyohi asked, slightly angered. "That motive was given to you, Mei! If anyone, you'd be the one to kill him!"

"Yep." The vigilante replied, nonchalauntly.

I wanted to push her aside and storm into the room, but I was stopped by Riko.

"Perhaps for now we should leave her be." The clarinetist looked down, sighing. "Given how this is very fresh in her mind, convincing her now will be nearly impossible. Let us come back later, alright?"

Despite how I was feeling, I caved in for Riko. "Alright...I trust your judgement."

Though hesitant, the crowd slowly dispersed from the area. Mei remained, guarding the door.

Before leaving, an idea floated into my head. I turned to my own dorm room and stepped inside, locking the door behind me. My room is right next to Kozaki's, I just might have a chance to speak with him through the walls.

I took a seat on my bed, spreading out the contents of the _Danganronpa_ envelope and looking at them with intensity. The photos, the artwork, the bios. I had the idea to read everyone's bios for myself to see if the information would be useful, but I held off on that for the moment.

Turning to the wall, I knocked on it slowly. "Kozaki? Can you hear me?"

No response.

I pressed my ear against the wall, thinking maybe it was too thick for my voice to pass through. What I got in return was the sound of soft weeping.

I knocked again with more force this time. "Kozaki, it's me. Are you okay? Please, talk to me."

The sound of sniffling was returned through the wall.

Another knock, more firm. "It's me, Fraize. Please, talk to me. I'm here for you."

An insecure silence was all that was left.

It seems I need to change my method of trying to get him to talk. Maybe if I could startle him...but how? Scream and fake being in danger? No, that's a terrible idea. He might panic and have a heart attack, and it might even get the attention of Mei and the others as well.

That's when the thought came to mind. I'm sure that this would get his attention, but...would he respond to it in the way I'm hoping for? Kozaki can be unpredictable at times...I hope he won't freak out.

Knocking on the wall with the most confidence I had, I changed my tone of voice lightly to be more serious. "Kozaki, this is your _boyfriend._ I want to help you. Please…" My voice became softer. "Don't shut me out…"

After another silence, he finally replied. "I'm...I'm here…"

"How are you feeling?" I asked, knowing that he had just been crying only moments ago. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

I could hear him sigh through the wall. "I feel awful. I should've known things would've turned out this way. I...I wanted to tell everyone for a long time, but...I was too afraid something like this would happen…"

He didn't respond to my other question. I guess I shouldn't press him on it for now.

"Is that everything you're feeling?" I wanted him to keep talking, to get him to vent to me. After all, it's not healthy to keep strong feelings bottled up. Those feelings...they can break people.

"...I feel pain." Kozaki replied, his voice growing quieter. "I hate my talent, Fraize. It's like a label. You see it and you instantly assume I've done horrible things. I...I have done things that I regret, I've done things I don't regret. But...I've never hurt anyone. I never want to hurt anyone either. I'd rather convince myself I was talentless than have being an arsonist as a talent. I...I hate who I am. I hate that this is who I have to be. All because of my talent...I can't escape from myself."

This is probably the most honest I've ever heard Kozaki be. I wanted to say something back to connect with him. "The way you feel about your talent is like the way I feel about my dead name. I always feel upset whenever I see it because it reminds me of who I was, of bad memories from younger times. Remembering the abuse from my father, how he had our family wrapped around his finger on a false wedding ring...how we had to be silent because of his ties with the mafia…" I took in a deep breath. "My past can't be erased. It makes me who I am today. That doesn't have to mean that I am who I used to be. Changing my name was only a small part to changing who I am. I...am no longer someone who stands by and watches silently. I want to do something now, even if it might be stupid." Jokingly, I chuckled. "Maybe all you have to do is change your name and you'll be able to love yourself."

It took a short while for him to respond. "...Zaki."

"Hmm?" I tilted my head. "What was that?"

"My nickname, the one my best friend would call me." Kozaki explained. "He called me Zaki."

"Ah, I see." I nodded in understatement.

Another pause. "Fraize."

"Hmm? What is it?" I asked.

"I want you...to call me that from now on." The former arsonist asked of me. "Please…"

I closed my eyes, leaning against the wall. "...Alright, Zaki."

* * *

It was about a year after my family cut all ties from my father when I found out about...about myself. Ever since I was little, I was a little skeptical over the idea of finding myself to be standing with a partner for life. Especially because ever since I was little, I knew my mother and father were not a truly loving couple. I didn't want my life to become that.

I never really saw myself to be attracted to girls. Maybe it was because of seeing what my father's relationship with my mother was like. It probably scared me away, making me think that romance was...just a lie to cover up a transaction. A cruel transaction through the bonding of wedding rings. I never thought I would find love because I didn't think there was love to even be found.

But...that changed. While I was walking outside with my mother one Saturday afternoon, I found myself confronted with a realization. It was while we were walking on the way back from a fish store, I remember seeing a man walking with his date. The man's date...was another man. I stopped walking to look at them, I noticed them do things together my parents didn't do. Those men smiled together, they laughed and shared an ice cream. Those men were happy, clearly happy together. I wanted that. I wanted to be happy.

That wasn't to say I didn't think dating a woman wouldn't make me happy. It's just...for the next few nights, I couldn't stop thinking about those two men. They were so happy together. Whenever I closed my eyes to think of love, that was what I saw. That happiness...I found that to be my ideal.

As a child, I recall my father tried to introduce me to a girl from someone he knew from the mafia. The girl was very pretty, and it seemed as though she was also an unfortunate soul chained to her family. I enjoyed her presence. She was always very kind to me, as I was kind to her in return. But...I never felt an attraction to her. I never felt an attraction to any girls at all.

From remembering these childhood memories, I came to a realization.

No, at the end of the day it wasn't just because of my father and mother's relationship. It was because I didn't want to date a girl.

I wanted...to date a boy.

It wasn't until a week later when I decided to tell my mother how I was feeling. We were gathered around the table for dinner, my mother laying down a large pan of seafood paella for us all to share. I sat besides Annette, my mother at the head of the table with the rest of my siblings taking up all the vacant chairs. Mother smiled and asked us, as she usually did, "How was your day today?"

As the eldest sibling, it was usually me who started the discussion. I hesitated, biting my lip and looking around.

"My son, is everything alright?" Mother asked, concerned to see I was acting unlike myself.

I sighed and looked over to my mother. "I...I think I learned something. A life lesson."

Annette turned to me, smiling lightly. "Life lessons are always important, brother."

Mother nodded in agreement. "It could be something all of us can learn. What is it, my son?"

I looked down lightly for a moment before looking up again. "I want to marry a boy one day."

* * *

"Hey, if you don't mind me suggesting…" I looked over to the various bits of scattered papers on my bed. "You and Mei should talk it out."

"Are you kidding me? She'll probably try to rip my eyes out the moment I see her." The one I now know as Zaki replied, somewhat sarcastically though also somewhat fearfully.

"Hmm...I guess that means you need me to convince you, huh?" I picked up a slip of paper from the _Danganronpa_ envelope. "If I say pretty please, will you go talk to her?"

"No, Fraize." He sighed. "I can't talk to her. She...she hates me."

I figured I would pick up the slip of paper about Mei that came with the envelope, reading the information to myself. "She's only got everyone's best interest in mind. She is a vigilante, don't forget that."

Zaki took a while to respond. "That just means she just wants to make sure nobody ever gets in contact with me again."

Hmm...what can I do to convince him to try? Perhaps...something quite startling. Startling him seems to be effective thus far. Alright, then. What can I do to startle him into doing it?

I looked back over Mei's information to read her bio. That's when everything clicked for me.

Is...is this really true? Mei...no wonder you're reacting in such a cautious manner.

Should I...tell Zaki?

It might ease his mind, but...no. It's not my place to say. If anyone tells him the truth about why his talent was a motive for Mei, it has to be Mei herself.

...

I never thought I would feel sorry for her…

…

Not now, Fraize. Get back on track.

Hmm...oh! I think I got it!

This might cause me to cringe to no end, but...the sacrifice will be worth it. I know this will get him to talk to Mei.

"Hey, Zaki. I'm going to read you a story." I pulled out my Bottolet.

"A...A story?" He asked, confused.

"Mhm. I've never read this one before." I looked back to the wall. "So it'll be an experience for both of us."

"Wait a minute...what story?" His voice carried worry.

I squinted my eyes, reading the title. "It's called…' _The Quest for the Magnificent Core Ruby.'"_

He stayed quiet for a while before realizing what I was up to. "W-Wait a moment…!"

"Okay, I'm going to read it now~!" I declared in a teasing manner.

"Fraize, n-no! Please!" He tried to beg me.

I ignored his pleas for mercy, opening the story and beginning to read.

 _'There once were two incredibly foolish fools named Kozaki Daisuke and Fraize Kimizai. These two fools were incredibly foolish, as neither of them prepared for their date to the movies on time! How absolutely depressing!'_

"Please, stop reading!" Zaki's voice was slightly desperate. "It'll get really weird fast, save yourself the trouble of having a sleepless night!"

"Nah, I like this story so far." I teased him again. "We're going on a date to the movies together, isn't that fun?"

I continued to read before he had the chance to reply.

 _'Kozaki Daisuke was a foolish fool with no money. Fraize Kimizai was also a foolish fool with empty pockets. Neither of them had money saved to buy movie tickets. How foolish. How could they go to the movies without purchasing tickets? But then, Fraize Kimizai had a fantastic idea. He and Kozaki Daisuke should make their own movie."_

Hmm...so far, not too terrible. Maybe that other fanfiction I read was just bad luck. Making a movie sounds exciting, after all.

 _'Kozaki Daisuke and Fraize Kimizai borrowed a movie camera from Soro Otonori in order to film their movie. They wanted it to be done in secret, so they didn't let the professional handle the camera work.'_

...Soro…

I do suppose these fanfictions are meant to take place in a world without the killing game, but...seeing Soro alive in this story, seeing his character speak and react...it twisted my gut.

 _'Soro Otonori cussed at the lovey-dovey couple before going to the kitchen to eat some chocolate-puffed cereal to calm down. He doesn't like being separated from his camera. Oh, what a shame!'_

"...Hey, this isn't okay." Zaki's voice was soft. "This is...fucked up…"

He was right, for lack of better words. I thought for a moment I should stop reading, but...

"Do you feel like talking to Mei yet?" I asked him, closing one eye.

"So that's what this is…" His voice was slightly unsteady. "No...I won't speak with her. You can try all you like, but there's no chance. If you're going to keep reading that fucking fanfiction, I'll just cover my ears.

I need to read until he agrees to speak with Mei. He will eventually, I just have to keep pressing him.

"Then I'll raise my voice so that everyone in the Killing Odyssey can hear me." I knocked on the wall. "How about it?"

He was silent in response.

I continued to read for a while, though it started to look as though I wouldn't find any success at all. That was until I reached the part where things became...suggestive.

 _'Fraize Kimizai tied Kozaki Daisuke down to the chair, waving the ruby in front of the captured foolish fool. Teasingly, Fraize Kimizai brushed the ruby against Kozaki Daisuke's cheek, even slipping it over his lips. Kozaki Daisuke was unable to fight back due to being tied up tightly. Fraize Kimizai took the ruby and laid it down onto a nearby table, then advancing onto Kozaki Daisuke. He whispered to him the many ways he would give him despair, pressing his index finger against the helpless Kozaki Daisuke's lips and grinning.'_

"Fraize, please stop reading this." Zaki asked, his voice carrying defeat.

"Hmm…" I smiled, sheepishly. "I will read just a little more. After all, you need to be sincere!"

 _'Fraize Kimizai slipped his hand underneath Kozaki Daisuke's sweater, wiggling his fingers to torture the foolish, ticklish fool. Kozaki Daisuke was helpless, biting down his lip to prevent giggles from slipping out."_

"I mean it, Fraize!" He was practically yelling. "I'll go talk to her, just...please stop reading the fanfiction!"

Smiling, I closed down my Bottolet and put it away. "Aw, it was just starting to get interesting. Just kidding." I knocked on the wall, playfully. "I'll speak with Mei to convince her as well. Don't go anywhere, okay?"

He chuckled, sighing. "I don't even think Mei will let me leave to go to the bathroom."

"Have no fear, Zaki." I stood up from my bed, gathering the contents of the letters and putting them away in my drawer. "I'm a professional diplomatic representative."

"You are?" He asked, confused.

"No, silly." I chuckled, lightly. "But I know a thing or two about communication. Hang in there for me, okay?"

"Okay…" He sighed, then growing silent.

I stepped out of my room to be greeted by an eyebrow raised from Mei.

I cleared my throat. "Mei, is it okay if-"

"If I talk to Daisuke." She rolled her eyes. "I heard everything you two were saying inside. You're not very good at keeping your voices down."

"Ah…" I scratched the back of my head. "So...would you-"

"Would I talk to him?" She shook her head, frowning.

I sighed, looking down. "Please, Mei. A lack of communication could...could really hurt your relationship with him."

"I never had a relationship with Daisuke, and I sure as hell don't plan on having one now." She waved at me, dismissively. "Just leave, Kimizai. This isn't your business."

But I wouldn't accept that as an answer, remaining in place. "Mei, I'm serious about this. I'm not going to leave you alone until I can get you to talk to him."

The vigilante sighed, looking back to me. "I'm just...in an emotional state where I can act irrationally."

"What if...I tell you about the origin of my name?" I looked her in the eyes. "I understand now, why you're doing this. It was in the _Danganronpa_ envelope, your past."

Mei frowned. "You invaded my personal life."

"So that I could understand you better." I closed my eyes. "Mei, I'm...I'm practically begging you here. Talk to him."

After an insecure silence, she sighed. "Fine, but only because you came with me to the Puzzle Room. I owe you back."

"Thank you." I nodded, looking up and smiling lightly.

"So then...tell me about it - your name I mean." Mei turned to me. "Why do you have two names?"

I looked to the side, sighing. "That old name is dead, Mei. I only have one name, and that's Fraize. The name Ramón belonged to someone else, a younger me. A younger and more confused me, a me who was very afraid. That me is dead."

Mei felt at her scar, turning away from me. "I, too, have a me that is long dead. The bitch took an eye with her, you know."

I nodded. "I do know, I read it in your bio."

"Are you going to read everyone's, then?" She looked back to me.

Shaking my head, I crossed my arms. "No. I only read yours so that I could...understand how you were feeling. There's a reason this was your motive, after all. Now...I do understand." I looked to the door the vigilante was blocking. "I think he needs to understand that, too."

"You won't tell him yourself?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That...is something you have to do." I smiled. "So how about it?"

She closed her eyes, nodding lightly. "Finish your story, Kimizai. Then I'll be ready to speak to Daisuke."

So, I told Mei the rest of my story. I told her about the mafia, about my father, about my family finding freedom. I told Mei about the love I found, that love for myself.

Some people might go their entire lives not knowing the love that can be found within them. I think I'm lucky, very lucky.

"Fine, fine." Mei tugged at her jacket. "Go inside and tell Daisuke I'll be waiting downstairs for him." After watching the vigilante head downstairs, I slowly turned Zaki's doorknob and opened the door.

He was sitting on his bed, hugging his knees and covering his face.

"She's ready to talk, waiting downsty." I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. "So then, come on Zaki."

He looked up to me, slowly climbing out of bed. "Okay, Fraize…"

"Hey, why the long face?" I walked up to Zaki, playfully poking him on the forehead. "Come on, you and Mei are going to set things straight."

"I...I know." He nodded, sighing.

His eyes were doubtful. He's certainly doing a bad job at hiding how he _really_ feels about this.

I placed my hands on to his cheeks, looking him in the eyes. "Zaki, you're a good person. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be here with you now. You need to believe in your own goodness." I leaned in, whispering. "Like how you believed in Neizami, how you believe in Weise. If you truly mean what you say...you'll have faith in yourself as well."

He closed his eyes and sighed, placing his hands on top of mine. "I want to believe. It's just...what if no one believes in me?"

"Make them believe." I nodded. "Nobody is just going to forget how you've been solving all these murders or how hard you're trying to stop all these killings. We all can see it, clear as day. Only a good person would want that. A good person who wants to save us."

Zaki nodded, opening his eyes. "I...I think I can."

"Now go and talk to Mei, alright?" I smiled.

He squeezed my hands, pulling them back to slip off his hood. We looked at each other in the eyes, still holding each other's hands tightly.

"I'm scared." He admitted. "Meeting with Mei alone."

"She just wants to talk." I explained. "I'm sure it will be important for both of you to clear the air."

The former arsonist sighed. "You're right...I just hope she won't try to kill me. It was a motive letter, after all."

"Don't think like that." I flashed him a grin. "Besides. If she did that, it would be obvious. I don't think she would want the distasteful death that execution brings. She's a girl of honor. Killing you would do nothing but spit on her own morals."

Zaki seemed to feel comforted. "I-I guess that's true...okay. Yeah, I...I can believe it."

"Now go on." I patted him on the shoulders, gently. "She's waiting for you, don't keep her."

I was surprised when Zaki suddenly hugged me, his heartbeat expressing his anxiety. "Thank you. For always...always knowing what to tell me. Always being there to guide me." He chuckled. "You're like a guide for life more than a guide for historical buildings."

I returned the hug, chuckling as well. "Being a guide is my talent, after all. If I did a bad job, then surely my title would be revoked!"

Zaki laughed. A genuine laugh. I don't remember the last time he felt true joy from humor.

I closed my eyes, stroking his hair lightly. "Dear friend, it's your turn now. I know you can do this. Go on and embrace who you are again, okay?"

After calming down, Zaki whispered, "Okay."

* * *

Hey, I know how you're feeling right now. I've gotten to know how to read you since we've met, you know. Even if you try to hide it, I can always tell whenever you feel scared or helpless. Your eyes, I can see who you really are inside whenever I look into them. You know, I've never seen anyone with eyes like yours. I wonder if that is meant to mean anything? An omen, I believe it's a good one.

I can tell by looking at the way your body moves whenever you feel discomfort. It happens often, you don't really do much to hide it. The things you try to hide change depending on how much they hurt you, but those hurting feelings only become easier to see.

I want to ask you something, but maybe this isn't a good time. That's okay, I know we'll speak again soon. Until then, I'll try and see what I can do for you.

Did you know you've become our leader? I've said it a few times, though it seems you always brush off the remark. It is true, you know. I wish you'd recognize it. You should see that as our leader, we believe in you. I hope, no...I believe one day you'll finally see that. Until then, I'll wait for you.

I think it's a little funny, you know. I never imagined I would ever meet someone like you. You surely left an impression, I'll say. I'm glad, truly glad to have the pleasure of meeting you. No, not just that. I'm glad I have the pleasure of calling you my significant other.

Maybe I'm not meant to be just a tour guide. I think it's a bit more than that, actually. A guide for sure, a guide for you. You are the leader, but I'm more than happy to stand by your side. If you ever get lost, I want to be there for you to show you the way. I'll be your guide for as long as you need me. I know one day you'll be able to stand firmly on your own two feet. I hope we'll be standing next to each other when the time comes.

Zaki, I want to save you from that cruel cycle you keep finding yourself in. You don't have to suffer anymore because now you have someone to lean on. I'll do everything I can for you. It might be before, it might he after. What I do know for sure is that I am determined to save you from your own despair.

…

Hope? Despair?

Such funny words, aren't they? Meaningless words somehow injected with the balance of this universe. This world we've found ourselves in, _Danganronpa._

I believe things will be okay. I hope you'll believe in that as well.

Zaki, I'm glad we're partners. So...don't be afraid to come to me, okay?

…

Thank you, for everything you do.

Now it's your turn to be the guide.

* * *

I slowly pulled away, taking in a deep breath. To say I'm scared would be an understatement, but...I can't put it off any longer.

It's time.

I parted ways with Fraize, leaving my bedroom and heading down the Grand Staircase. Mei was waiting for me, arms crossed and leaning against the railing.

"There you are, Daisuke." She sighed. "Ven conmigo, let's find a private place to talk."

I let Mei be the one to decide that, allowing her to lead me to wherever she had in mind. That took us to the Shift Rooms, where she looked at me expectantly. My room...I guess that's where she wants us to meet.

Swiping my Bottolet and opening the door, we stepped inside. I wasn't sure if I should lock the room for privacy's sake, but deep down I still couldn't shake off that anxiety I had. What if I need to run? Mei has her gun on her, she could shoot me and be done with it…

No. Don't think like that. She wants me to be transparent, so...I have no choice. I don't know why she got my motive letter, but it clearly means something about the truth of my talent is significant to her.

We sat down on the rocks near the center of the room. Mei crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at me, signalling for me to begin explaining myself.

I sighed, looking down with uncertainty on how to begin. "Well...I want to make it clear that despite what my talent is...it's not who I am anymore." I placed a hand over my heart, taking in a deep breath. "I've changed, or at least I'm still changing. I hate my talent, I hate who I was and even still...hate who I am now."

Mei crossed her arms, thoughtfully. "...Qué era that made you do it in the first place?"

"...Pain." I felt at my head. "A traumatic memory, if you want to call it that. Fire was, ironically, burned into my mind. When I see fire, when I feel its heat...it makes me remember the feelings that I could never put into words."

The vigilante felt at her chin, processing what I had told her. "Do you still feel the same way about fuego, Daisuke?"

I looked to the side. "I'd be lying to say I didn't feel anything. I've tried to control myself, but...even now it's still there. Still haunting me, driving me insane…"

"Veo." Mei crossed her arms. "Daisuke, if this is your talent...you must've done something to earn that title, verdad?"

I shook my head in response. "There was my childhood, but...I wouldn't call myself the best arsonist in the world." Sighing, I looked down. "I've never hurt anyone before, I promise you I'm not going to start now."

Mei eyed at me for a moment before looking away. "Tu talento…I already know why you have it. It was in la carta de motivación. Your past, that childhood accident...and because you wanted _revenge_ …" She looked back to me. "I don't hate _you_ , Daisuke. I hate _arsonists._ "

I hesitated to say something in return. "Because...arsonists are criminals, right? You're a vigilante, so you-"

"Eso es incorrecto." Mei shook his head. "Daisuke, it's why I became a vigilante in the first place."

I looked to the side before making eye contact with Mei. "What do you mean?"

"...Cuatro años ago, that's when the revolution began." Mei tugged at her jacket. "I wasn't part of it at all at first. Mi familia, we were just trying to survive. None of us wanted anything to do with war. Pero, that didn't matter."

I felt at my right arm, wanting to say something. "I…"

"It happened during the middle of la noche." Mei looked back to me. "Un incendiario set the neighborhood on fire porque fue un co-conspirator hiding among us. Mi familia was killed in that fire." She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Not even just my family. Todos las personas, save for three lucky people, were killed. I was one of the three."

"How did you survive?" I asked, wanting to hear her story.

"I was awake at the time out with the other two. We were playing con petardos on the edge of town." Mei looked upwards. "Well...when we saw the flames engulf everything...we tried to get home, but…" She shut her eyes. "They had to drag me out of there...no quise irme."

I watched Mei feel the scar over her left eye, then looking down. "Mei, I...I'm sorry…"

"No esta tu culpa." She stood up, sighing and crossing her arms. "It's not like you could've known about it."

"Yes, but…" I stood up as well, trying to say something. Nothing came to mind.

Mei took in a deep breath, looking down. "Lo siento, Daisuke. It was in the heat of the moment, and I let my emotions run wild."

"Would you have...killed me?" I asked, biting my lip.

Another deep breath. "I might have...pero ahora no quiero." Mei walked over to the door of the room. "I kill people who want to kill others. I kill people who want to cause pain, who want to spread desesperación...and I know too well by now that you're not like that at all."

I didn't say anything in response, only standing in place. How do I respond at all?

"If you wanted that, you wouldn't be trying so hard to stop all these killings." She looked back to me for a moment. "No, no eres como otras personas. You don't have a clear answer. The world...it's what you make of it." She looked away. "You don't think like los criminales do, selfishly. You may lie, but...are lies truly evil? I've had my share of lies to tell, sinceramente."

I stood still, listening to Mei's words carefully. "...I see."

"Déjame preguntarte..." Mei turned around once more. "Stay on that path that you believe in. Maybe then you can convince me to believe in it as well. Hasta entonces…" She turned away. "I'll stick to my own path."

It was unusual to see Mei speak in a rather cryptic manner. I looked to the side, closing my eyes.

"Gracias, Kozaki."

I looked back to the door to see that Mei was already gone.

...Mei, I'm sorry. I should've told you all the truth instead of lying this whole time. I was scared. It was just after Yuuta and Kamiyaki died...I thought...I would be next…

…

Am I going to die? I keep asking myself, over and over. I'm scared. I don't know how much longer I have. I don't know if I'll ever make it out of here.

I don't know if I'll ever see my mother's face, my father's too. I don't know if I'll ever go on morning walks with Shiro…

I don't know if I'll ever meet my new sibling. What will their name be? Will Mom and Dad tell them all about me?

What if something happens to them? Weise lost his mother since he's been here. What about my parents?

…

I'll...go visit the garden now.

* * *

I took a seat by the graves of my friends, closing my eyes and sitting in silence. Tikari, Neizami, and Anne were laid next to the others. Their precious items resting with them.

Fraize still didn't tell me what happened in Anne's execution. I'm...starting to think that might be for the best. The atmosphere, it's tense. Almost half of us our dead...I'm scared. Scared shitless.

"It's getting quiet here, without you guys. I wonder...what would you all think of me?" I felt at my head, lightly. "None of you knew my talent. Would you...hate me?"

Silence.

"I dreamed about you, while I was knocked out." I looked down, sighing. "Neizami, Tikari, Anne...we all sat at a table, drinking tea and eating cinnamon rolls...everyone joined us, actually. Well, everyone who died. I'm...wondering if this is a sign that I'm going to die as well. Dreaming about dead people...feeling like you're all still alive…"

Silence again.

I looked back up to the graves of my friends. "Hey, what would you all think of me? The 'leader' that's trying to save everyone is...a criminal." I closed my eyes. "Do you hate me? Do you hate how I lied to you all?"

…

"I don't think you're a bad person, Kozaki."

I looked up to see Yuuta standing before me, placing his hands on his hips and smiling brightly.

"If you were a bad person, why do you want to save everyone?" He leaned in lightly. "You didn't forget what Fraize was telling you, right? Maybe you also need a memory diary, huh?"

"Ah?" I blinked, feeling at my head.

"An arsonist? Wow, no wonder you looked like you were about to shit yourself when Zraiko called you out." Soro felt at his cap. "That's pretty fucking crazy, isn't it?"

Tikari took off her beanie, hugging it lightly. "I wish you were truthful about it from the start...but it makes sense you were afraid, eh?" She walked over to me, placing a hand onto my shoulder. "So then, I guess a photograph with your family isn't your precious item after all, eh?"

"No...no it isn't." I responded, feeling delirious. "A flamethrower isn't as...important as a photograph, is it?"

"Don't say that." Tikari picked up the photo of her and her special ed class. "Your flamethrower is precious to you for a reason, isn't it?"

I looked down. "...It is, or...maybe it was. I'm starting to think...maybe it's not as precious to me as I thought. Mikanne and I built it together, and well...Mikanne is gone. It's...lost its meaning to me. Even my necklace…" I felt at my necklace gently. "Should I even still wear it? Even now?"  
"Don't be ridiculous, Kozaki." Ingreis shook her head. "Those items are a celebration of your friendship. You aren't going to just throw away your memories, are you?"

I looked up, feeling at my head. "Throw away...my memories?"

Ingreis leaned in, frowning lightly. "If you do, you're disrespecting what Mikanne meant to you. He was your best friend, wasn't he? Are you just going to forget about him? Even after all he did for you?"

I took in a deep breath. "No, I won't."

"Sweety…" Anne walked over, brushing her apron. "Even through the good and bad memories, they all meant something to you." Her gaze grew distant for a moment. "They could be terrible, terrible...traumatic memories…" She then blinked, smiling to me. "But that makes you Kozaki. You wouldn't be who you are now without Mikanne."

I wouldn't be who I am now?

...I wouldn't be an arsonist, would I? Who would I be, then?

"Hey, hey~!" Kamiyaki held her hands behind her back, swaying her body lightly. "You should be thankful, Kozaki. Thankful for the life you've been given. One day, you'll see~!" She winked. "After all, it's your life that's fighting for everyone's sake. Smile a little more, won't you?"

"Ah?" I blinked, feeling at my cheek. "Smile more…?"

"Y-Yeah." Neizami smiled. "If you smile...the others will see. You don't smile very much Kozaki."

"I don't?" I slowly pulled my hand away.

The digital artist shook her head. "Real smiles, anyway. You force smiles often times. It's good to see you when...you're genuinely happy."

Real smiles...

I closed my eyes, sighing. "Can I really...find happiness in a place like this?"

No response.

Happiness in a killing game, it sounds impossible. No, it surely is absolutely impossible. There's no way. The only thing to be found here is...despair.

"Do you have a moment?"

I turned around to see probably the last person I expected. "Z-Zraiko?"

Zraiko walked over to me, scratching his chin. "This is the first place you decided to visit after Mei let you out, hmm?"

"Y-Yeah…" I turned back to look at the gravestones. "I...wanted to see everyone."

The hacker stood next to me, looking over the graves as well. "To see everyone?"

I sighed, kneeling over. "Yeah...I wonder sometimes, wonder about if I'm going to die here. I keep visiting them. I noticed you guys have stopped coming, recently. I'll keep visiting them, though. Someone needs to be here to talk to them."

The hacker looked at me, his expression perplexed. Perhaps he was thinking I was delusional. "You talk to them?"

"I do." I closed my eyes. "They encourage me. They tell me not to give up.

"Hmm…" The hacker scratched his chin. "If you don't mind, I wanted to tell you something."

I looked back to Zraiko. "What is it?"

"I think...what I have to say will make you feel...hmm...perhaps not so alone." He crouched down besides me. "Tell me, Kozaki. Do you have a criminal record?"

I sighed, looking away. "Y-Yeah...it wouldn't surprise me if you wanted to lock me up. If I do get out of here, maybe I'll be thrown right into the damn slammer."

Zraiko paused. "You're...not the only one with a criminal record, you know."

I slowly turned to face the hacker. "What…?"

"I wasn't always ethical." He adjusted his glasses, sighing. "Back in my python days, I would hack for my own benefit. I'd take money from people's bank accounts, I'd force companies to make purchases that I wanted them to make. I'd control money flow, taking from CEOs and distributing them to charities. I'd leak projects, steal information. All anonymously, all illegally."

I silently remained still, processing everything the hacker was telling me. "Then...why be ethical now?"

"My father works in the government. Took the guy five years to catch me in the act." Zraiko held up his precious flash drive. "I wrote a VPN for myself so that I couldn't be traced. The guy caught me, though. Caught me because...I let him. Lying to your family, it builds up on you the longer you do it." He took off his glasses and felt at his forehead. "He wanted to save me from a life of crime, so he brought me with him to the government. They enlisted me into a program that converts young hackers to become ethical and hack for good causes. Hack to test and protect software, manage extremely classified files...I turned around."

I nodded, quietly.

"From python I moved to C#, then to C++, now I mostly work in Fifä× and M∆P. Programming was fun to me. It still is, it feels like a puzzle that I need to solve. Even now, trying to get a distress call out…" He smiled, lightly. "I'm having fun being challenged, as...cruel as it sounds."

I nodded again, making an effort to try and develop some sort of friendship with Zraiko. "I think I see, now. If you didn't love programming, you wouldn't stay up during the night doing it...right?"

"Sure." He stood up, stretching. "That's all I really had to say. It's pretty obvious that I'm not one for...social activity."

I chuckled lightly, standing up as well. "I noticed. Mest is the only person you really spend time with, isn't he?"

"Hmm...I suppose so." Zraiko turned to leave. "In any case...good chat."

"Y-Yeah...good chat." I felt the back of my neck.

Fumbling for any further words, Zraiko bowed to me and headed off. While brief, I appreciated the fact that he went out his way to speak with me. I don't know if he plans on trying to grow closer with us, but...I hope so. I believe this is a sign of change from him, a sign...of a good change.

* * *

I was on my way to meet with Fraize in his room, figuring we could try to regroup and try to come up with a plan to catch the mastermind. That didn't turn out as planned, as I noticed everyone was gathering around the Grand Staircase. This...could only mean one thing. Monobotto asked us to meet here.

Damn it, what the fuck does that robot want with us now?

I decided to take a seat besides Fraize, raising an eyebrow to him. "What's going on here?"

The tour guide looked back to me, crossing his arms. "...No lo sé."

Our attention was seized by the robot of the hour as it rolled over to us. "Thank-you-for-coming-you-fools. This-is-a-briefing-of-the-contents-of-the-Final-Puzzle-Room."

The Final Puzzle Room?

"As-you-may-recall-you-fools-were-given-a-riddle." Monobotto eyed at me. "Kozaki-Daisuke. Have-you-solved-it-as-I-asked-?"

"Me?" I felt at my head. That's right...I said I would solve that damn thing in order to have Weise be spared. I was...only saying it to get Monobotto out of my hair, though. "N-No...I haven't. I haven't even thought about it because of you and your shitty killing game."

"As-expected." It rotated its body away from us. "Listen-well. Solving-the-riddle-is-the-key-to-the-Final-Puzzle-Room. If-you-solve-it-then-the-killing-game-will-end."

"Then...we can all survive?" Kyohi asked, hopeful.

"Perhaps. Perhaps-not. I-refuse-to-answer-you." Monobotto pointed to us. "Recall-the-contents-of-the-riddle. It-is-critical-to-solving-the-puzzle. If-you-wish-to-you-may-ignore-it. However-ignoring-the-chance-to-escape-with-minimal-deaths-sounds-utterly-foolish."

...Solve the riddle, minimize the amount of deaths…

No. I won't accept this. I'm tired of people dying. I won't allow any more sacrifices.

"One-more-thing. Consider-it-a-bonus-gift." Monobotto tilted its head. "For-surviving-this-long. I-will-allow-you-fools-to-answer-me-a-single-question." It fixed its head back on top of its body. "Not-one-question-per-fool. One-question-from-one-fool. That-is-all."

One question. Doesn't matter who it's from, that's all we get.

…

"Zraiko." I turned to the hacker. "Ask the question."

He glanced to me for a moment before nodding. He won't make the same mistake twice, I have complete faith in him.

"Monobotto." Zraiko pointed to the robot. "What is the full name of the mastermind?"

It went silent for quite some time. Was it hesitating to respond? No matter, it has no choice but to answer us.

"The-full-name-of-the-mastermind." Monobotto tilted its head. "You-ask-me-this?"

"Yes." Zraiko nodded.

Another pause.

" **The-mastermind's-full-name-is-Erito-Zoukau-Shikidakou-Hajimoto."**

…

The first emotion I felt was relief. It's not one of us, _I knew it._ It really is one of those damn cultists after all.

But...now what? What can we even do about it? Now that we know it's one of the cultists, how do we get them to stop the killing game?

We all sat together in silence, Monobotto simply rolling away from the scene.

"It's not one of us, thank goodness." Kyohi nodded. "Then...now all we have to do is get them to come out!"

"Come out de donde?" Mei asked, crossing her arms. "It's not like Erito is going to just waltz in here, especially since he is the one responsible for putting us through this mierda in the first place."

"Then let's trap him!" Weise puffed his cheeks. "We lure Erito out with...a plate of crêpes irrésistibles!"

"Not everyone has una adicción al crepe like you do, Vayrne." Mei rolled her eyes.

"Ah, I think I've got it!" Fraize smiled. "We need to sabotaje el juego!"

Sabotage the killing game...yes, that would certainly get Erito's attention. But...how do we do that?

"Ah, by ignoring the motives?" Riko asked, tilting her head lightly.

"Not just that." Fraize crossed his arms. "Ignore that riddle, ignore the final Puzzle Room. We need to...to act like adolescentes locos!"

"Act...like crazy teenagers?" I blinked, confused.

"Sí! We have to be rebellious! Take back our lives!" He grinned. "That will surely be just the thing to make Erito tick, verdad?"

"Then...where do we start?" Kyohi asked, feeling his right shoulder.

"I've got it." The motorcyclist grinned, placing her hands at her hips. "The perfect thing to cheer up you chups, and surely bother that Erito guy!"

Riko held her hands together. "What do you mean, Sayino?"

"Let's all have a birthday party, for all of us." She pumped a fist into the air. "After all, it's been a year since we've been home, right? We've all aged up, so...what better way to celebrate living than having a birthday party for all of us?"

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Aren't we too old for birthday parties?"

Weise gasped, surprised. "Too old for birthday parties?! Mais...mais c'est impossible! What about the cake, the presents...and dressing up your chat de compagnie?!"

The hacker blinked, caught slightly off guard. "You dress your cat on your birthday?"

Puffing his cheeks, Weise nodded. "Don't you?"

"Can't say that I have." Zraiko scratched his chin.

"A birthday party for all of us sounds like fun!" Kyohi smiled, nodding. "Let's all play party games together!"

"Oh, how wonderful!" Riko smiled. "Shall we bake a cake for all of us?"

The entire mood began to swing from unease to belief, belief of a bright future for us. Belief that we really can end this killing game, belief that now everything is finally over.

We started to plan out a whole party for tomorrow. We would have streamers, balloons, gifts...we would sing _Happy Birthday_ and have a good drink, splitting a marble cake between the nine of us.

…

No, not just the nine of us. The sixteen of us. We're having a birthday party for everyone.

Tomorrow, I'll finally get to celebrate my twentieth birthday. I'll get to celebrate my life, to celebrate the lives of my friends. We're going to survive, I'm counting on it.

Until tomorrow, I'll use the rest of today's free time to get some rest.

* * *

Master Erito, it is good to see you again.

Not now. I'm not in the mood.

What's the matter? You seem to be quite on edge.

I have made a serious miscalculation. I can't believe I overlooked this flaw, and now look where we are.

Where are we, Erito?

We're in an incredibly unprecedented situation. _He's_ starting to act abnormally to the program.

He? You don't mean…

I do.

How is this possible?

I do not know.

What if he blows your cover?

He can't, the program makes sure of that. Especially with the memory suppression after each operation. He can't remember me, none of the five can.

The entire group seems determined to put a stop to the killing game. They want to lure you out by rebelling.

They won't. It's physically impossible for me to come out of hiding anyways. Not given these...unique circumstances.

Your uniform is folded and waiting for you to change.

Thank you.

Master Erito?

What is it?

Are you certain you won't slip in?

Absolutely.

Can you really control that?

As long as there is enough moderation on Zepto, yes I can.

What is the progress of Zepto?

Number One has progressed to 75% cleansed. Once we get to optimum percentage, Zepto will be perfected.

What about the other four?

Oh, you mean the side experiments. Just keep watching them for any changes. It doesn't matter what happens to them. Just make sure Number Seven remains unharmed.

Understood.

You can leave now.

One moment, Master Erito.

What is it?

Will you ever reveal yourself to them? It's tradition, after all.

The point of this isn't to just be another season. It's for the Faceless Renaissance. I would be a fool to reveal myself with all the people watching.

If I may say…

Hmm?

You've gone quite a long way, haven't you? I never would've imagine you doing this way back then.

Enough, Erito.

A good day to you as well, Erito.

…

 _That's right._

 _We are all Erito here._

 _There's no resisting._

 _Either you convert, or you be liquidated._

 _This is the nature of the Faceless Renaissance._

 _If you do not have talent, you will be eliminated._

 _This is the only way to further advance our human society._

 _This is the only way to break the cycle of warfare and selfishness._

 _Peaceful times, you say? Shirogane, you had a way with words._

 _No more._

 _This peace is merely a numbing to the great pain of human history. I'll show them all what it means to censor out the truth._

 _With this killing game, I'll begin to create a new world._

…

 _ **I can't wait to see your face when you see what a beautiful euphoria I've created.**_

* * *

~Chapter Four, Daily Life Three, End~


	23. A Silenced Cry Daily Life 4

Cold...I feel so cold…

My eyes slowly opened as I took in a deep breath. It's that place again, that endless darkness...drowning in eternal rain…

Slowly standing up, I looked around trying to gain some sense of direction, but I soon figured it would be pointless. Besides the rain, I'm the only thing to be found in this void. Just standing, just waiting...nothing.

"Well, well...I never thought things would turn out this way."

I turned around in response to the foreign voice only to find...nobody was there.

Am I...going crazy?

"I'm surprised. How are you here? You shouldn't be able to exist like this."

I turned around again, still nobody in sight.

"We've never had the chance to speak before. Honestly, I never thought we would have the chance at all…"'

I turned around once again, frowning. Am I supposed to talk back? Is this all...in my mind? A voice, taunting me...what am I supposed to say?

"What's your name?"

I closed my eyes, shaking my head. Snap out of it, wake up.

"My, my. You won't tell me? That's fine...I already know who you are."

I slowly opened my eyes upon feeling a pair of hands press onto my shoulders. I could feel the presence of someone behind me, but I wasn't able to turn around.

"But...you don't know who I am, do you?" The individual asked me.

I tried to move my body, but...it was like I was petrified. No matter how much I wanted, I couldn't. It was like my ability to control my body was taken the moment this person touched me.

"My name...is Erito Hajimoto."

The...The mastermind...

Am I dreaming? Is that why I can't turn around? Because...I don't know what Erito even looks like?

"I came here with a message, I hope you're going to listen." Erito leaned in, I could feel his breath against my left ear. "You're almost done installing Zepto. You've been making it very difficult, you know? Now...be a good, obedient little boy and let us finish programming you."

Shutting my eyes, I put in all my willpower to move away. I was able to shift my body over, only a little. "N...No…"

"No?" Erito asked. "Are you resisting even still?" He laughed. "Fool."

Suddenly my body was hit with a wave of nausea. I covered my mouth, feeling as though I would throw up.

"You're going to be a good boy and do as you're told." Erito lowered his voice. "Is that clear?"

I found the strength to shake my head again.

"You're stubborn. So incredibly stubborn...is this why things have been going off course?" Erito poked the back of my head. "What's going on with you?"

I couldn't manage a reply.

"...It doesn't matter. A month's time is all we have to work with before _he_ arrives...I'm so excited to finally meet _him_ in person...aren't you?"

W...Who?

"Kozaki Daisuke…" Erito whispered to me. "You're interesting, so interesting...perhaps the greatest experiment I've ever laid eyes on."

I...I'm what?

"Ah, I'm out of time." Erito's voice grew normal again. "You've been given _Desperica-Thylemine_ , so I'll have to leave for now. I hope to see you again soon...you haven't disappointed me at all."

It took me probably everything I had to manage my single message to the mastermind. "Stop the...killing game…"

"Stop the killing game?" Erito asked in a rather pleased manner. "You really do impress me, Kozaki Daisuke. Go on, then...I'd like to see you try and make me."

I was suddenly pushed forward violently, falling to the ground and crashing under the water. My body felt numb, I was helplessly swept away by the current.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that island once more.

* * *

I woke up feeling as though I would puke on myself, covering my mouth and belching. That dream, that nightmare…

Erito Hajimoto...the mastermind…

His voice was so familiar to me, yet at the same time I've never heard a voice like his before.

Uhg...none of this is making any fucking sense!

Rubbing my head, I sat up while clenching my fists.

He...He challenged me. That fucker is amused by this, taunting me…

Calm down, calm down. It was only a nightmare. You're losing your mind, Kozaki…

…

I looked over to my Bottolet that was resting on the bed stand, thinking about speaking with Fifty-Three again.

It won't hurt, right?

"Hey...are you free to talk?" I asked after picking up the tablet. "Fifty-Three?"

...No response.

"Hey, can you hear me?" I leaned into the tablet, thinking maybe that would do something.

Nothing still?

I...I guess Fifty-Three is busy right now. I'll have to try again later.

 _ **Beep!**_

O-Oh, I got a text?

…

It's from Fraize.

' _Buenos días, Zaki! When you get this message, puedes visitar la cocina? I'll be waiting for you!'_

...You know, I've always found it weird how when Fraize texts me it's sent in English and Spanish. I'm sure he's probably writing it in Spanish, as it's his native language, but...that doesn't explain why the tablet is doing a half-assed job at translating.

Gah! This space prison doesn't make any fucking sense at all!

Well fine, whatever. I can focus on that another day. Today...Today is going to be a good day. No stupid Monobotto antics, no killing game or drama...just friends. Friends having fun together.

Changing out of my pajamas and getting dressed, I headed over to the kitchen to see what Fraize wanted to meet me for.

Well...the kitchen was an absolute mess, like a hurricane was unleashed inside. Riko and Weise were trying to cook crepes together, though both of them were covered in flour and batter. Off to the side, Mei was trying to reach something from the top shelf of the fridge, though...she was too short to come close. She kicked the fridge in anger, muttering curse words under her breath while going to get herself a stool. The table had various used cutting boards laying around, nobody seemed to be bothered to clean them.

Fraize was standing by the counter, seeming to be focused on something. I walked over besides him and tapped his shoulder. "H-Hey, I'm here."

He turned to me, smiling warmly. "Hola, amigo. I've got a surprise for you."

"Y-You do?" I blinked. "What is it?"

"Well...if I told you…" He leaned in, winking. "It wouldn't be a surprise."

I scratched the back of my head, nodding lightly. "I...guess that makes sense."

"Come on, come on." Fraize nudged me before walking out of the kitchen. I noticed he was carrying two plates with him, though I didn't get a clear view on what food was resting on top.

I followed the tour guide all the way to the dining room where he laid down the two plates. I leaned in, examining the meal he prepared. "What is it?"

He grinned, crossing his arms. "Churros con chocolate."

"Churros…?" I took a seat at the table, blinking. "I...think I've heard of them. Though...I've never had any before."

Fraize sat next to me, nodding. "Mi madre showed me and my siblings how to make them. They're not perfect...but I hope that you like them!"

I picked up a churro and sniffed it, the fragrance causing my stomach to grumble with excitement. I dipped it into the chocolate and took a bite, closing my eyes. "...That's really good."

"Muchas gracias!" Fraize was pleased to hear that.

Fraize and I continued to eat without much conversation. I didn't know what to talk about at all, it was incredibly awkward.

 _ **Knock, knock.**_

I turned to the door. "W-Who is it?"

"It's me." Kyoho opened the door, smiling. "Are you guys done with breakfast?"

"Y...Yeah." I nodded. "What's up?"

The hockey player pointed to the door with his thumb behind him. "We've got something set up for the group birthday party! You guys are the only ones who haven't seen it, yet...so I came to get you!"

"Oh?" I blinked.

"Follow me!" Kyohi grinned, waving to us.

We were led from the dining room table all the way downstairs to the arcade room.

"Here we are!" The hockey player opened the door. "Sayino and I set this up together, so I gosh darn hope you like it!"

I found myself in awe when looking around. I had yet to visit the arcade, save for that 'orientation' or whatever, but...the sight was impressive. There were streamers all over the ceiling and walls, balloons tumbling across the floor, and the lights were even rigged to change color.

"Woah, Kyohi...you and Sayino did this?" I turned to him. "How did you even find this stuff?"

Kyohi smiled. "I used Fraize's tactic."

"Huh?" The tour guide tilted his head. "What do you mean, amigo?"

Kyohi looked to his left and his right before leaning in and whispering. "We lied about setting up a murder."

"Oh…" Fraize grinned. "Fantastico."

"Come on, goobers!" Sayino walked over to us, holding a metal bat and a blindfold. "We've got some makeshift piñatas set up, you guys should take a crack at it."

I slowly walked over towards the end of the arcade past some retro game machines. Sayino, thanks to her impressive height, was easily able to hang a makeshift piñata for me.

The piñata was made of tape and string found from the kitchen drawers. While only about six inches in diameter, I couldn't help but feel excited. Maybe it's because I was feel hopeful, because it was injecting positivity to fight through the madness of this space jail. I wonder...what could be inside?

Slipping on the blindfold - or rather the towel cloth from the kitchen - I stood waiting patiently.

"Alright, Sayino. Spin him around!" Kyohi called to the motorcyclist.

"Haha, you've got it." Sayino placed her hands onto my shoulders. "Ready, Kozaki?"

"Y-Yeah." I gulped, nodding.

Being spun around rapidly was extremely disorienting. I thought I would trip over my own feet, my body swaying from side to side due to an immense dizziness. The bat was slipped into my hands, Sayino moving me to face the piñata.

"Go on, Kozaki! It's not too far ahead from you!" Kyohi laughed, clapping his hands.

Staggering forward, I clutched the bat and gave a hard swing. The entire weight of my body shifted, causing me to nearly fall over. Shaking my head and trying to plant my feet firmly to the ground, I swung with less force this time.

 _ **Bop!**_

"Oh, you almost broke it open!" Sayino chuckled. "You can do this, Kozaki!"

Nodding, I waiting a few seconds before swinging again with confidence.

 _ **Bang!**_

"Haha, you got it!" Kyohi clapped.

Slipping off the blindfold, I looked down and chuckled. "Candy?"

"Duh. What else would you put in a piñata?" Sayino grinned, placing her hands on her hips.

I picked up a piece and peeled off the wrapper, popping the treat into my mouth. "...Mint, heh."

"Alright, Fraize!" Kyohi took the bat from my hands to pass to the tour guide. "Now it's your turn!"

"Ah?" He blinked, then smiling. "Okay, listo."

I figured I could walk around the arcade for a bit while Fraize took a turn with the pinatas. The machines all had incredibly old games on them, some I haven't played in years. There was even a dance machine, though I didn't want to go make a fool out of myself…

I walked over to the couch to take a seat when I noticed Zraiko was sitting down, legs crossed. His focus was fixated to the TV screen in front of him where an anime about...magical girls was on.

"Z...Zraiko?" I asked, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing?"

Startled, the hacker looked over to me. "O-Oh, Kozaki. I uh...I was just taking the day off."

"You...taking the day off?" I raised an eyebrow.

Zaiko shrugged. "Mest made me, since it's my 'birthday' and all."

Awkwardly, I looked away. "I see…"

A silence, quite an uncertain one. Will that be all, only a brief chat at best?

...No, I'm unsatisfied. I want to get to know him better. Maybe I won't reach that level of closeness he has with Mest, but…

Smiling, I took a seat besides Zraiko and crossed my arms. "So, what're we watching?"

Zraiko blinked, taken aback by my question. "H-Huh?"

"The anime. What is it?" I nodded, patiently.

After averting his eyes for a while, he sighed and looked back to me. "My Sweetheart~! Princess Cutie Diamond…"

"My Sweet-" I covered my mouth in order to prevent myself from laughing.

Frowning, the hacker pointed to me. "Hey, I've been watching this since I was a child. It's...not my fault the series is still going."

I chuckled a little, nodding again. "Okay, okay...what's the anime about?"

Rolling his eyes, the hacker leaned back in his seat. "A teen girl named Amei finds a broken mirror in the forest one day. She picks up one of the pieces of glass and it cuts her hand, suddenly transporting her to a world of illusion. She becomes a magical girl to go on a questo to find Princess Dia. Though, it turns out Dia was a prince all along. The two join forces to defeat greater evils…" He adjusted his glasses. "They're on season sixteen now, trying to uncover the secrets of an ancient prophecy…"

"Uhh…" I blinked a few times while trying to process everything. "I...okay…"

Zraiko raised an eyebrow to me. "So…"

I smiled and made myself comfortable. "I'll stick around for now."

"Huh?" He blinked in surprise.

"You heard me." I chuckled. "You're out of your Shift-Room, and that's pretty damn rare. I might as well spend time with you, right?"

He paused for a while before smiling lightly. "Alright."

Fraize walked over behind me and bopped me on the head. "Hey, estamos watching anime?"

"Haha, come on and join us." I nodded, patting a spot besides me.

The tour guide took a seat besides me, smiling and dumping a pile of candy onto my lap. "No tengo popcorn, but candy works fine!"

The hacker eyed at the candy. When I turned to him, he looked away and focused on the screen.

"You can take some if you want." I chuckled, nudging Zraiko on the shoulder.

Looking back to me, Zraiko slowly extended his hand. I dropped in a few pieces, smiling at the hacker.

"Thank you." Zraiko retreated his arm.

"Does that make us friends?" I asked, teasingly.

Zraiko sighed, nodding while looking at the screen. "Sure."

* * *

After hanging out in the arcade for a while, I decided to head out and take some personal time off for myself. Sayino told me that the part would be tonight, so I decided to use my freetime to rest shortly, hoping to speak with Fifty-Three. It's just...Fifty-Three still did not reply to me. I found it to be weird. Normally Fifty-Three would respond right away, so this dead silence has me a little worried...

Now's not the time for worried. I've refreshed myself, so now I'll go and check on how the others are doing.

I ended up in the garden where I found Riko and Weise sitting together. The fashion designer was hugging his knees while the clarinetist was gently patting him on the back.

"Is...everything okay?" I asked, walking towards them.

Riko looked over to me, smiling lightly. "Good to see you, Kozaki...I suppose things are alright."

I sat besides Riko, looking at Weise. "Don't tell me…"

She sighed, nodding in response. It seems Weise is still blaming himself for Neizami's death. I know it might sound incredibly insensitive, but...I was hoping by now he would be over it.

No, not over it. Of course he could never be over it. I...just don't want this to bring him down...

"...Everyone who has died...I wish they were here to celebrate with us." Riko looked over to me. "Their birthday, I mean…"

"They're here." I nodded, slowly. "Maybe not alive, but I feel like they're watching us. That...through every step we take, they're right besides us."

She smiled, holding her hands together. "I suppose you are right, Kozaki."

I stood up to move over to sit next to Weise, patting him on the head. "Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?"

He sighed, looking down. "...Pas bon…"

I shook him gently. "Come on, buddy. You should be happy."

Weise looked over to me, though not replying verbally. His face showed he was feeling immense shame, shame in himself.

"Be happy you're alive." I showed him a smile. "You need to live, Weise. You need to live and escape, to carry on their memories and friendships. I'm sure Neizami knew you never wanted her to die. I'm sure all of them could see the goodness in your heart." I nodded. "So please...stop letting this hurt you."

Weise looked down, unable to reply.

Sighing, I pulled him in for a hug and patted him on the head. "Hey. It's your birthday today. In fact, it's Neizami's and Tikari's...Anne's...everyone's. I want you to smile and celebrate your life, to celebrate their lives. Promise?"

"Okay…" He replied, softly.

Patting him on the head one more time, I turned to look over the gravestones. "You know...they've done a lot for us. We wouldn't be where we are now without them." I closed my eyes. "If Yuuta never showed me the Puzzle Room, I wouldn't have decided to try it out...and we may never have found his body. Kamiyaki cheered for us, trying to keep our spirits up so we could keep trying to live. Ingreis was brutally honest, and I think that was a good thing. Soro saved you, Riko...and maybe all of us. If Ingreis had her way, we could've all voted wrong. Tikari was kind to all of us, and her kindness never wavered. That goes a long way here, in a place like this. Neizami helped to stop Ingreis, and though she held the burden of playing a role in someone's death...she tried to live on with love for herself. Anne...well...to be honest, I still don't know who Anne was. I'd like to believe that Anne was the same sweet girl I knew her as. The girl who would cook for us with a warm smile on her face…" I took in a deep breath, feeling at my head. "I wish I knew...but I guess sometimes in life you just can't solve every mystery…"

An uneasy silence.

"Soro and Neizami…" Riko closed her eyes. "If it wasn't for them, perhaps...I would not be here now." She sighed, placing a hand over her heart. "And as cruel as fate may have it, they are the ones who have lost their lives."

"Riko…" I looked to the clarinetist.

"Should I be sitting here, right now with you?" She looked me in the eyes. "I feel...a numbness inside. What if Ingreis really did kill me?"

I looked to the side, unable to answer her.

"Kozaki?" Riko asked, hoping from an answer from me of some sort.

I looked back to Riko, shaking my head slowly. "Honestly, I don't want to think about it." I took in a deep breath. "I want to think about our future."

"Our future?" She asked, pulling her hand back.

"Yeah. How we're going to end the game." I turned to look at the gravestones. "If this game really does keep going until only two people can escape...will their deaths even mean anything?" I frowned. "I refuse to forget them, Riko. Even if they've not known us well or done us wrong, what can't be denied is that their deaths were unjustified. The victims, the killers…" I turned back to Riko. "Not one of them is more dead than the other."

Riko stood, silently.

"I don't want this damn game to continue." I nodded to her. "So please, I don't want you to regret living. Keep living with me, Riko." I smiled, lightly. "And when we escape, we can escape with the sixteen of us."

Riko smiled, nodding in return. "Thank you, Kozaki."

"Now then…" I crossed my arms. "I think we've got a party to go to, right?"

Weise perked up, smiling lightly. "O-Oui."

"Mei has been baking the cake. Where shall we eat it?" Riko asked, tilting her head.

"M-Mei…?" I chuckled lightly, shaking it off. "Well...I was thinking we could eat here, as a group...with all sixteen of us."

"Ah...I see." The clarinetist nodded in understanding. "Mei will text me when she's done...is there anything you want to do in the meantime?"

I closed my eyes, taking my time to think. "...Yes, there is." I stood up. "I'll see you guys later, okay?"

Weise nodded to me in return. "D'accord."

Heading out from the garden, I looked for the one person I had yet to see today: Mest.

I'd be lying to say I wasn't worried about Mest. Not because I think he'll end up in trouble, as I know he is probably too intelligent to allow himself into bad situations. It's just…

I have his motive letter. I'm scared to think that there's something about him that could upset me. It made me fear...that I would snap at him like Mei did to me.

Shaking my head, I pushed the envelope deep into my pocket, trying to keep it out of my mind. If...If push comes to shove, I'll...open the envelope in his presence to give him a chance to explain whatever truth I find.

I knocked on the door of one of the Shift-Rooms, figuring the tattoo artist would be inside. Sure enough, the door cracked open and he peaked out.

"Hey, Mest." I smiled, awkwardly. "Can...Can I come in?"

The tattoo artist slowly opened the door to allow me inside, without much words of welcome.

"Zraiko said you got him to stop working and socialize with us." I chuckled. "You should listen to your own advice."

"...I needed to take time off for myself." Mest sat down at a bench, crossing his arms. "To avoid...any hasty decisions."

"Huh?" I walked inside, closing the door behind me. "What do you mean…?"

Mest held up an opened envelope...the motive envelope.

"Y-You...you opened…?!" I gulped, worriedly.

"Relax." The tattoo artist nodded. "It was from Kyohi...his secret wasn't as severe as yours."

"His secret…?" I lowered my voice. "...What is it?"

Mest shook his head. "Out of respect...I cannot disclose it with you or anyone else."

Out of respect? Damn, it must be really personal...

"You're here for the usual, right?" Mest tilted his head.

I sighed, nodding. "Yeah."

"Where do you want them?" He walked over to one of the stations, taking a seat on a stool. "Same place?"

"Yep." I took off my hoodie and sweater, rubbing my shoulder that had my other tattoos. "All three of them, please…"

I don't want to say that I'm getting used to the pain of it all, but...I find that I've started to grow numb.

Damn it, fucking damn it all! Why...Why am I growing numb? Why does every death stab me deeper but hurt me less? It's not fair. I don't want to accept this. I don't want to feel nothing by someone's death. It's...not normal at all. It's insane, everything here.

I don't want to feel numb. If I don't feel pain...what's wrong with me?

Am I the only one?

The fact that I can't feel pain...hurts me more.

"You were oddly quiet, Kozaki." Mest stepped back after he finished his work. "You are...one of the more talkative people here. Is something on your mind?"

I sighed, putting on my clothes. "...Does it hurt, Mest?"

The tattoo artist tilted his head lightly. "Could you clarify?"

"...This game." I closed my eyes. "The people dying...does it hurt you?" I felt at my head. "I think I'm losing my fucking mind, Mest. I...I…"

Mest walked over to me, placing a hand on my head to get me to look at him in the eyes. "Stop and breathe."

I gulped, taking in a deep breath.

"You can't afford to lose your mind, Kozaki. That's what turns you...into a killer." Mest leaned in. "Clear your head, meditate...stop thinking."

"Stop...Stop thinking?" I asked, confused.

Mest nodded. "Yes."

Looking to the side, I bit my lip.

"...I can tell by your unease. You have my letter, don't you?" He asked, softly.

"Ah?!" I stepped back. "I-I...I just wanted to ask you about it! I-I haven't opened it, I swear!"

He sighed, crossing his arms. "I can tell...your perception of me hasn't changed. If you were to read that letter...well…"

"Mest, is...is it something bad?" I gulped again, my hands shaking.

The tattoo artist calmly shook his head. "I do not know the contents of my letter...but...I am certain you will be very displeased by the truth it holds."

"So...you think you know what's in there." I slipped my hand into my pocket to take out the envelope. "...Mest, can you tell me?"

"Tell you...the secret?" He asked, his voice rather unsteady.

"I want to hear the truth from you." I nodded, firmly. "If you tell me yourself instead of leaving a letter to expose whatever secret you have...I'll already trust you much more."

Before Mest could reply, a beeping sound cut in. No, two beeping sounds. Our Bottolets both receive messages at the same time.

' _The cake is ready! Come on and meet us at the garden!'_

Ah, it's from Riko.

"...Shall we?" Mest asked, motioning to the door.

I looked to the side. "Only if...you tell me the truth later. I want today to be great." I looked back to Mest, smiling. "Because today is...our birthday."

"Ah…" He nodded. "I see. Let's talk about this at a later time."

I followed Mest out of his Shift Room, sensing discomfort from him. It's...probably the first time I've ever seen the tattoo artist lose composure, albeit only slightly and hardly noticeable.

Mest...what secret are you hiding?

* * *

Heading into the garden, I noticed some sort of a picnic blanket was laid for us all to sit on. A large cake was resting in the middle, plates and silverware already set up and waiting.

Riko looked up to me and smiled, waving me over. "Kozaki, isn't this wonderful?"

"The cake? The party?" I smiled at her, taking a seat besides the clarinetist. "My friends?"

She giggled, lightly. "All of those things. We're all going to be here together, just...having a good time."

Weise was leaning incredibly close towards the blanket, squinting his eyes with his rump sticking up in the air. "Hnn...hnn…"

"Weise?" I chuckled. "What are you up to?"

He sat up properly, brushing off dust from his vest. "Inspecting le tissu."

"Ah." I nodded. "Is it up to your standard?"

Weise took some time to brush out some wrinkles. "...Oui, c'est bon."

Looking around the room, I noticed that Kyohi, Sayino, Mei, and Zraiko were all missing. Where were they…?

"Amigo!" Fraize surprised me from behind.

"A-Ah?!" I found myself jumping up in shock. "F-Fraize!"

He laughed, patting me on the shoulder. "Lo siento, lo siento."

I sat back down again, catching my breath. "Don't sneak up on me like that. I-I get easily startled, you know?"

"Oh, alright." Fraize sat down next to me as well. "Yo comprendo, I won't do it again."

"The garden...this is your choice of location?" Mest asked, taking a seat.

I nodded. "It was my idea...so we could all be together."

The tattoo artist glanced over to the graves, nodding slowly. "I see…"

"We would've used the Mono-Shift Room, like Mei wanted, but...Monobotto says it's under construction." Riko held her hands together. "So...when I told her Kozaki suggested to eat in the garden, she was quite quick to agree."

"Mei set this up?" Mest sounded surprised.

"Oui!" Weise jumped into the conversation, sitting down with his legs criss-crossed. "She was very eager, droit?"

Eager...Mei?

Did she do this because...of me?

"Sorry for keeping you waiting…" Zraiko entered the room, adjusting his glasses. He wiped his forehead, seemingly out of breath.

"Did...you run all the way here?" Mest tilted his head to the hacker.

"I finished, I actually finished." Zraiko walked over to us, taking a seat and brushing off Mest's question. He was grinning from ear to ear. "I did it, hah! That damn robot called me a fool!"

"He called us all fools." Riko gulped, confused by Zraiko's behavior. "What have you done, Zraiko?"

"I finished the program!" The hacker laughed, placing his hands onto her shoulders and shaking her lightly. "I sent out a distress call, and you know what?!"

"W...What?" Riko asked, her voice growing quiet.

Zraiko pulled his arms back, nodding. "We're getting out of here. Help is coming."

My eyes slowly widened. Help is coming...help is coming! We're going to get out of here! No more of this forsakened killing game!

Zraiko took off his glasses, feeling at his forehead. He was taking in rather deep breaths, but still smiling.

Mest was looking at him with an expression of worry...and perhaps fear. However...it seems what these two know will remain a secret only they share.

"Hey guys!" Kyohi smiled, walking in. "Sayino'll be here shortly, she's getting napkins with Mei."

"Oh, lovely." Riko patted the ground. "Please, do come and sit with us."

Kyohi took a seat, his smile only growing. "Did you guys like what we set up in the arcade? Sayino and I spent the early morning making those piñatas!"

"Looks like you and Sayino have really gotten close." I nodded to Kyohi.

The hockey player laughed, lightly. "We took turns in eachother's Shift Rooms last night. I rode on a motorcycle for the first time! And you know, she's really darn good at hockey!"

It was really great to see Kyohi so...spirited. Ever since Neizami's death, he's had moments of aggression that just didn't suit the Kyohi I knew. Yeah, this Kyohi right now is the one I know. The one with a bright life inside him, the one who will never falter in his beliefs in us - beliefs in our survival and harmony.

"Thanks for waiting!"

We all turned to see Sayino walk in with a stack of napkins. She grinned as she walked over to us, taking a seat. "Mei said we should start without her, since she's preparing a surprise for everyone."

"A surprise?" Weise asked, his eyes twinkling. "Est-ce un cadeau? M-Maybe crepes?!"

"I can't tell you, goober." The motorcyclist laughed. "Mei pointed her gun at me to make me promise!"

"I-I think you shouldn't be muy feliz about that." Fraize gulped.

Sayino shook her head. "Heeeey, don't worry, don't worry." She then nodded. "Everything's a-okay. So then...who's cutting the cake?"

Riko patted me on the back, lightly pushing me forward. "Sir arsonist will, won't he?"

"R-Riko…" I blushed, lightly.

"Well...the secret is out, is it not?" She giggled. "Come on. Please do us the honor."

Sighing with a smile, I nodded and picked up a kitchen knife that was waiting besides the pastry.

Well, let me just say, as an amature cake-cutter I did a fucking terrible job. But hey, I did cut the cake into sixteen pieces, and that's all that mattered at the end of the day.

The taste was sweet, but not too sweet. There was a fruit jam hidden inside the cream giving it an extra punch in flavor. And I'm supposed to believe Mei cooked this? I guess Anne showed her a thing or two during their time together in handcuffs.

I slowly put my plate down, looking at the gravestones. I could see them, eating and smiling. Anne and Yuuta were sitting next to each other, eating their cake slices while chatting about cooking. Neizami was eating her own slice while drawing with her tablet, Tikari watching her and smiling. Ingreis and Kamiyaki talked about their lives as athletes and how they felt about competing while Soro casually ate his own slice.

"...Can you see them?" I looked to Fraize. "The others...they're eating their cake with us."

Fraize looked over to me, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah...they all look so peaceful. Like...nothing terrible ever happened to them, like...they're still alive. Still with us."

Fraize raised an eyebrow, quizzically. "R...Really?"

"Can't you see them?" I asked, worriedly.

"N...No." He scratched the back of his head. "Es posible que you're imagining things."

I shook my head. "No...they're there. All of them. They've never left."

Fraize's face grew to show concern. "Esta bien, Zaki?"

"What do you mean? Of course I'm fine." I started to feel desperate. "Come on, you...you can see them too, right?"

"Yo no puedo…" He looked to the side in discomfort.

I tried to say something in response. "They're there, all of them. I know it, I can see it! I-"

I was cut off upon Mest pouring his glass of water on top of my head. "...You're hallucinating, Kozaki. The nine of us are the only ones here."

Looking up to Mest, I bit my lip. "I…"

The tattoo artist looked away. "Kozaki, breathe."

Breathe…

I took in a deep breath. "Okay."

Mest nodded to me before turning away his attention. "Heading out, Sayino?"

"I'm going to check on Mei." The motorcyclist stood up. "She might need help, and my eyes are the only other eyes who have access to her secret."

"Ah, I see." The tattoo artist nodded in response.

My own attention was steered when I noticed Fraize tapping me on the shoulder.

"Zaki, is...everything okay?" Fraize asked, worriedly.

I tried to brush it off, awkwardly chuckling. "I-I was just...thinking how nice it would be, with all of us here. I must've just gotten carried away in a dream…"

The tour guide frowned, lightly. "You're lying again, Zaki. Por favor...just tell me what's wrong."

…

Breathe.

I took in a deep breath, looking down.

"Hey…" He leaned in. "Talk to me."

"...I'm scared. I'm too scared feeling like something is going to go wrong." I covered my face with my hands. "Every time we've made an effort to just...have fun and live...someone dies. I don't want that to happen, I…"

Fraize gently moved my hands away, looking me in the eyes. "It's okay to be scared."

I closed my eyes, taking in a few deep breaths.

Fraize spoke slower, making sure I could understand every word. "I'm scared...we all are. We just...want the game to end. Is it...foolish to believe...to hope?"

"No." I shook my head. "I...I want to believe. I just...I can't even enjoy myself because of everything weighing me down."

"You believe in the end of the Killing Game." Fraize smiled.

I looked away. "I do. Especially now. Zraiko's gotten us help. All we have to do is wait. I'm...I'm just scared something's going to go wrong. I'm scared, so damn scared. What if-"

Before I could reply, I found myself to be sharing warmth with him. I closed my eyes, holding him tightly. It was calming, it was reassuring.

He pulled away, placing a hand on my cheek. "Feliz cumpleaños, Zaki."

I smiled, placing a hand onto his and squeezing it lightly. "Happy birthday, Fraize."

We closed our eyes, pressing our heads together and...just absorbing ourselves into the moment.

After a few minutes of peace, Fraize stepped towards the entrance of the garden. "Puedo ir al baño, Zaki?"

"Haha, what are you asking me for?" I giggled, lightly.

"Just...to ease your anxiety." Fraize felt the back of his neck. "Quieres ir conmigo?"

"I'm fine." I nodded. "Go on. We're all going to escape now, so who the hell would want to kill anyone now?"

The tour guide chuckled. "Ah, I guess you're right. Valé, I'll be back soon."

I watched Fraize leave, then turning my attention to everyone else still here. By now, the plates were all empty. Well...the plates that belonged to the living party guests, that is.

Riko tapped her fork to her plate, smiling. "Everyone, perhaps I may sing a song to celebrate?"

"Oh, s'il vous plaît!" Weise also smiled.

The clarinetist cleared her throat, singing a soft and gentle tune.

 _A happy birthday, my love. Another year endured._

 _A happy birthday, my dear. Have your woes be now cured._

 _A new year is shining up ahead for you…_

 _Will you take it?_

 _Will you make it yours?_

 _I want you to smile on this special day._

 _Today is for you._

 _So please let me see a smile on your face,_

 _I'll smile too._

Smile. That's something I've done the most of since I've been here. Smile more, and not just me.

There's just...so much _smiling._ Crazy, isn't it?

 _ **Beep!**_

Huh?

I took out my Bottolet to see a text from Fraize.

 _'Hola, Kozaki. Could you meet with me at the Final Puzzle Room? Gracias!'_

I felt a little disappointed to see Fraize call me Kozaki here, but...maybe it's just because the Bottolet has some shitty autocorrect setting for student names. I don't want to be getting worked up over nothing.

Meet at the Final Puzzle Room? I...I'm a little worried, to be honest. I don't want anything bad to happen…

But this is Fraize, and I know I can trust him. Whatever he wants to meet me for, it must be important.

' _Sure, I'll be there.'_ I replied before putting away my tablet and facing the exit of the garden.

"Heading out?" Riko asked, looking to me.

"Yeah." I nodded to the clarinetist. "I'll be back soon."

She nodded to me in return. "Alright."

With that, I made my way towards the Puzzle Room.

When I got there, I couldn't help but feel worried. Fraize wasn't outside. Did he...want to meet me inside the room?

Maybe he thinks we need to investigate the room just to be safe and called me over for my judgement.

I slowly walked inside the Puzzle Room, looking around. I wondered why Fraize wanted to meet here.

It was my first time seeing the final puzzle, so far it just seemed like...a really long hallway.

When I finally reached the end of the hallway, I was greeted by a shocking sight. There was some weird mechanism with five metal seats built in around it. There were computers all around the room, their screens being the only source of light here.

What...What is this place?

That's when my eyes fell on the greatest shock of the entire room. In two of the five chairs, Fraize and Mei were tied down and unconscious. I hurried over to Fraize, feeling his face to check if he was alive.

He's breathing, it doesn't look like he's hurt. How about Mei?

Mei's fine, too.

What happened to them? This...This is...what even is this?

I shook Fraize lightly, trying to wake him. "Fraize? Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

I checked his body carefully, then noticing a small splotch of died blood on the side of his neck. Then, I checked Mei to find the same thing on her.

Drugged to sleep, that's all I could register this as.

Who did this to them? Why?

I figured I should hurry and run to tell the others, but...I can't just leave them here. What if someone tries to hurt them? To...To kill them?

"Sorry!"

Before I could register who else was here, a hand covered my mouth. The person squeezed my body tightly, immobilizing me. I felt something prick my neck, causing me to feel an incredible dizziness. I tried to do everything I could to escape, but it was no use. My eyes slowly closed...and then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

I didn't have time to put on my shoes, as the bus would be here any second. Running barefoot with a cloth bag slung over my shoulders, I hurried outside to the stop just as the bus rolled in. My feet were cut by small stones, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. They'll heal just fine, no time to dwell on it.

Taking a seat towards the front, I looked out the window to watch the world pass by.

The ride into the inner city from my home on the outskirts takes about forty minutes, mostly due to all the many stops on the way to my destination. I clutched the knot of the cloth that rested on my chest, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath.

I have to hurry, I have to make it on time.

Please...Please, let me get there. Let me be there for her.

The bus stopped in front of the Cape Town research hospital, rather abruptly. I bolted out, hurrying inside.

Hallway, hallway, stairs, more halls. Dodge the doctors, dodge the patients, please let me get there. Please, please let her still be there.

Opening the door to her room, I took a sigh of relief as I saw her sitting up and speaking to her personal doctor.

"Shin'nen!" I called to my sister, quickly whipping off the cloth and bringing it over to her. "From home, from mom and dad and me. A good luck before your procedure!"

My sister smiled warmly, sighing. "It's going to have to wait, Kyo. I can't eat before the surgery."

Disappointed, I placed the cloth onto the table besides her. "O-Oh...I'm sorry, Shin'nen…"

"I told you, silly." She giggled. "Call me Shin."

I was always formal to my sister. Though we were twins, she was the first born. Older than me by sixteen minutes, too. I was also always formal to my sister because...she's sick. It doesn't feel right to speak to her playfully, and yet…

She acts like nothing is wrong with her. She keeps smiling, toughing it out and trying to reassure me.

She kept getting weaker and weaker, only making her smile grow wider and wider.

…

When she came out of hospital, she had told me she was better.

I wish I knew she was only lying. I wish I knew she was actually sent back home to spend her last days with my family. I wish I knew that when we went to sleep she wouldn't wake up the next morning.

Her last words to me…

Don't ever stop believing in the good.

The good what?

But I took what she asked of me and ran with it.

Losing my sister was one of the most painful experiences I've ever gone through in my life...but losing my sister shaped who I would become. It would shape what it means to be Kyohi Hayai.

* * *

Riko, Zraiko, Mest, and myself were all cleaning up the garden together. Weise ran out to use the bathroom, starting that his wee was becoming too much for him to hold in.

Something about all of this was strange. Mei still hasn't shown her face. Sayino went to check on her and hasn't returned. Fraize said he was going to the bathroom but never came back. Kozaki, well...I don't know where Kozaki went. Weise? Well, he might still be on the toilet for all I know.

We thought of looking for them as a group, just to look around and be safe. I personally went to both men's restrooms on the first and second floors only to find them empty.

Where did they all go? Are they in on the surprise?

We were on our way towards the library when Zraiko stopped us.

"What's wrong?" Riko asked, worriedly.

"The door." The hacker pointed towards the Puzzle Room. "It's opened slightly."

"You...don't think they went inside, do you?" Mest asked, though it sounded like he already knew the answer.

Inside the Puzzle Room was an incredibly long hallway.

"Gosh...what kind of puzzle do you think this could be?" I asked to the others, looking around.

"Hopefully one we can simply walk away from." Zraiko frowned, lightly. "I went out of my way to send out a distress call. Help is coming, so what's the point in risking their lives?"

"Perhaps they were only thinking of investigating?" Riko held her hands together.

"Perhaps, perhaps…" Zraiko shook his head. "Perhaps they should've said something, hmm?"

"Now, now…" The tattoo artist patted Zraiko on the shoulder. "Breathe."

I looked forwards with nervous energy as the hacker continued to fumble for words to express his distress. Every step forwards only made my body shake more.

When we arrived at the core of the Final Puzzle Room, we were met with a sight none of us could've expect.

Kozaki, Fraize, Mei, Weise, and Sayino...tied up to chairs on some machine. Each of them had...a-a knife in their bodies…

Are...Are all of them…?!

"Check all of them, now!" Zraiko commanded us.

I hurried over to the person closest to me, that being Kozaki. I placed my hand over his nose and lips, trying to feel if he was breathing.

…

He's breathing.

What's...What's this knife...?

No blood.

I slowly pulled out the knife to see it wasn't in his body at all. It was stabbed through his clothes and slipped between his torso and arm. It...It looked like he was stabbed in the heart, but...no. He's okay.

Placing the knife on the floor, I shook Kozaki a few times to get him to wake up, but...nothing.

"How are the others?" Mest asked, stepping back from Fraize.

"Weise is okay." Riko held up the knife that was was placed with the fashion designer. "What...What awful prank is this?"

"Mei's fine." Zraiko nodded, then walking over to Sayino. "...Shit!"

"Z-Zraiko?" I asked, worriedly.

The hacker slowly backed away, taking off his glasses. He didn't say anything.

I ran over to see what distressed him. That was when I was met with the same sight that caught him off guard.

A knife stabbed into the heart of Sayino Makora, the Super-Highschool-Level Motorcyclist...for real.

 _ **Ding Dong Dong Ding**_

"A-body-has-been-discovered." Monobotto's voice echoed throughout the room. "No-need-to-go-anywhere. You-fools-are-already-at-the-scene-of-the-crime."

...Sayino?

Why Sayino? Why her?

Someone killed her? Killed the person who was trying to keep our spirits up? Why, why?!

I felt myself become unable to hold back my anger, yelling out and punching the ground. I'm tired, I'm so tired! All these people, all my friends...why is this still going on?!

...

Now we have to investigate the murder. Kozaki's out of commission, someone else has to step up.

I took in several deep breaths, standing up and wiping the tears out if my eyes. Frowning, I pulled out my Bottolet. I'm not going to just be a documenter this time around. Sayino was one of the closest friends I had here. If anyone, _I_ want to be the one to catch the blackened.

"Kyohi?" Riko asked, gently placing a hand onto my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I closed my eyes, nodding. "Excuse my language, but I am incredibly...incredibly pissed off." I turned to her. "...Riko, please help me."

The clarinetist nodded, holding her hands together and giving me a determined nod.

"There's only four of us to conduct this investigation...will that be enough?" Mest asked, crossing his arms.

"Well...four people is all we have. We damn better make it count." Zraiko nodded.

Don't worry Sayino, guys. We'll find out who did this to you. If we don't, well...gosh it won't be a pretty picture.

I know I've been standing on the sidelines for the most part, but...no more. We're all changing here. It's time...for me to change as well.

* * *

~Chapter Four, Daily Life Four, End~

~Chapter Four, Deadly Life One, Start~


	24. A Silenced Cry Deadly Life 1

Sitting beneath the shade of the great tree besides my sister's grave, I hugged my knees with my eyes closed. I whispered prayers to her as I did every day, telling her about everything I've done since the last time I came to visit.

In the distance, I saw a boy with pink hair walking through the main path of the graveyard carrying a bouquet of flowers. Besides him was an adult with black hair tied into a ponytail walking with a formal posture. It seemed that they were going to pay respects for a lost loved one. Perhaps, if that man is the boy's father, they were going to visit a family member.

...

Hey, I had another hockey match since we last spoke, sis. We won again, just like you said we would. I know you're watching me from the world beyond. I've never lost my faith in us.

Mom and Dad are both away today visiting family all the way in Johannesburg, leaving me alone for the weekend. I was used to this, as I almost always chose to stay home. It's not that I dislike my other family members, but...it feels wrong to be away from Shin'nen…

My twin sister, born minutes ahead of me...and now because of cruel fate I am the older sibling.

I've spent so long focused on how unfair Shin'nen's death was to me, I...neglected the fact that one of my cousins vanished. I didn't know him well, but I felt guilty for not having much words to say. He's family, right? I should be worried. But no...it's hard to worry over someone you barely knew.

I talked to Shin'nen about it. She told me I should care more about him and how he's doing. I'll try my best to show more interest, then.

I leaned back against the tree, taking in a slow and deep breath. I've got to try, I'll make it a promise that I'll try.

How many years has it been? Two, three? Maybe even five...I just know that every day without her has been quite disheartening. We were always together, the two of us. Peanut butter and jelly, we were the perfect pair.

I want to move on, but...I find myself here every single day. Shin'nen tells me she doesn't mind waiting for me, that it should've become a chore to visit her. It's just...I don't want to forget her. We were twins. It doesn't feel right, nor will it ever feel right I think. I don't believe I can ever see it any other way.

I opened my eyes, picking up my homemade hockey stick and smiling with a sigh. This stick, Dad and I made it together. But you were part of it, too. This bandanna that you tied to it, at the handle? I've never taken it off, sis. It's a good luck charm, that's what I believe. As long as I have it, I know you're playing hockey with me right by my side.

...Hockey used to be something between us for fun. But...after you passed away...I dedicated my life to it. I don't know why it was hockey out of all things, but...I guess maybe it was to try and relive those feelings of energy I had with you.

I picked up my hockey stick to lay it against Snin'nen's grave. I want her to hold it for a while. I want her to hold the win we had together today.

...

Hey, sis. Finals are in two weeks. Promise me you'll be there, okay?

I took in a deep breath, standing up and turning away from my sister's grave to look up into the great tree's leaves. They were shaking with a somewhat violent force, as a strong breeze knocking them back. However, the leaves were new and young. They were strong enough to rebound from the breeze, returning to normal as though there was never a disturbance. I wish my sister could've had the same luxury rather than meeting such a slow and draining demise…

Darn, Shin'nen wouldn't want me to think such depressing thoughts. Especially not after winning another round of hockey. Despite me being the youngest on the team, I'm already getting invitations to play on university sports teams. I-I'm not even going to be graduating any time soon, so...it's an honor, I suppose.

"You're that rising star hockey player, aren't you?"

I turned around to see someone wearing a mask. They looked at me in a quizzical manner. I looked to the side. "I-I guess so."

"You're really young." The person seemed to be surprised. "It looks like you already have your future laid out for you, too."

"...It's not my future." I looked to my sister's grave, smiling lamentively. "It's our future."

The individual looked as though they felt bad for me. "Oh, I see…"

It was then when I noticed my hockey stick had vanished. I was quick to figure the individual had something to do with it. Why else would he or she conceal their identity? Maybe rumor has it that my hockey stick is incredibly valuable, and this person was looking to make a quick buck.

I can't allow myself to overreact. Taking in a few deep breaths, I frowned. "Give it back, please."

"Hmm?" The person tilted their head.

"Our stick." I extended my hand out. "Please...give it back."

The person raised their hands up. "Don't have it."

"Huh?" I blinked, confusedly. "Of course you do. If you don't, then who does?"

"That would be me, Number Thirteen."

I turned to find another masked individual holding my hockey stick. Before I could approach them, I was grabbed from behind by two other people.

"You really are a talented hockey player." The first masked being walked over to me. "We could use talented people such as yourself."

Talented people? What's this about?

The person dropped a card onto the ground before taking out another mask from their coat. "Kyohi Hayai...I can tell you what happened to your cousin."

To say that surprised me would be an understatement. "Y-You...You know about…? But that's not possible!" I shook my head. "I've never known you in my life!"

The person did not answer me, only approaching closer. I wanted to fight back, but I was scared. Not just because of what was currently happening, but because this person - maybe even these people - knew things about my family. I would bet my darn hockey stick that they aren't people my family knows. So then...so then why…?

I spent so much time thinking, I didn't realize how close this stranger was to me. Before I could call out for help, I found myself instantly fallen into a realm of darkness. Drifting, swept away...

* * *

...

Sayino...Sayino's really...she's really dead….

What do we even do about the others? It's a rule that everyone has to participate in the investigation. They...they're all unconscious...There's no way they'll be able to investigate right now. What if they don't wake up in time for the trial? A trial with only four people...I just don't know what's going to happen at all.

"Thank-you-for-waiting-you-fools-!" Monobotto rolled into the room. "I've-got-the-files-for-Sayino-Makora's-death-ready. Please-have-a-look."

With uncertainty, we all all took out our Bottolets to check the circumstances surrounding Sayino's death.

 _ **Victim Information:**_

 **The victim is Sayino Makora, the Super-Highschool-Level Motorcyclist.**

 **Her age was 20 years old.**

 **She lived in Manchester, England.**

 **She was 198.12 centimeters tall.**

 **She weighed 76.2 kilograms.**

 **She had no allergies.**

 **Her blood type was O+**

 **The victim did not have a mental disorder.**

 _ **Victim Situation:**_

 **The victim's body was discovered in the Final Puzzle Room by Zraiko Nikiroi, Kyohi Hayai, Mest, and Riko Hamoizumi at 5:43 PM.**

 **The estimated time of death is unknown.**

 **The victim's cause of death is a stab to the heart with a violent force, resulting in a great amount of bleeding and death.**

 **The victim's heart rate was slightly higher than average shortly before death.**

 **The victim's brain wave readings showed the victim was lamentive shortly before death.**

Lamentive? Why would Sayino have felt that way before dying? I wish...I could ask her…

Monobotto spun around once. "Alright-fools. Time-is-ticking-down! You-have-three-hours-!"

Three hours...three hours to collect as much evidence as possible. It sounds like a lot of time at first, since this room is the scene of the crime...but…

"Please, wait!" Riko raised a hand. "What about Kozaki, Fraize, Mei, and Weise?"

"I believe that Monobotto will not disturb them…" Mest crossed his arms. "Just as it did not interfere when Weise was drugged in the previous investigation. These four are, for lack of better words, incorporated into the crime."

"Can Monobotto not force them awake?" Zraiko asked, frowning lightly.

"W-What?" The clarinetist asked, surprised. "That's cruel, and incredibly rude!"

"Arhg!" Zraiko frowned, waving his hands. "No, no! I don't mean it to be cruel!" He sighed. "Their testimonies are going to be incredibly important. If they can't even participate in the trial…"

"We might be in serious trouble." I gulped, feeling my shoulder in discomfort. "Zraiko has a point. We might not be able to solve Sayino's murder without them."

"I-will-force-these-sleeping-fools-to-participate-in-trial. You-better-believe-it." Monobotto rolled away. "Until-then-they-are-free-to-wake-up-as-they-please."

This isn't good. As much as I don't want to resort to forcing them awake with who knows what drugs...this case will be impossible to solve without their help.

"I suppose...that means we must begin…" Riko gulped. "Shall we help Kozaki, Fraize, Mei, and Weise out from their seats?"

"Not yet." The hacker shook his head. "We need to preserve the crime scene."

"Agreed." Mest looked over the scene, slowly nodding. "Until we are finished investigating this room...we must leave them be."

Then I guess that means we better get right to it. Alright, Kyohi. Where should I start?

It seemed that I obviously should start by looking at Sayino's body, but...the idea of it made me very uncomfortable. I mean, this was my friend...dead right in front of me. I can't even look at her face without feeling as though I would collapse.

…

I can do this. I have to do this. I have to find out what happened to my friend.

Alright, then let's get a closer look!  
I slowly walked to stand in front of Sayino, looking at her body to try and pick up as many details as I could.

The knife was stabbed in deep, alright. Though, it wasn't all the way in. Her lower body was splattered with blood, some blood even getting onto the floor. Even her hands had some blood on them.

Her eyes were closed, head tilting down lightly. Her lavender hair obscured her face, so I brushed it out of the way to look at her expression. She seemed to be peaceful, as though she was only taking a nap. She was also...smiling.

Seeing her like this, it hurt me. It reminded me Shin'nen. Sayino...she reminded me of her. Their energy, their optimism, the way they made me smile. Sayino took on the role of the older sister I had been missing for years.

And now I lost my sister twice, twice in my lifetime.

…

"Hey, Kyohi." Zraiko leaned in, pointing to Sayino. "You wouldn't mind if I checked her pockets, would you?"

"Huh?" I asked, confusedly.

The hacker sighed. "Incase she has anything important on her person, like her motive letter."

I took in a deep breath, shaking my head. "No. I'm going to check myself."

Taking notice to my resilience, Zraiko stepped back to let me handle it. I slowly reached to check her pockets, finding them all to be completely empty except for a crumpled piece of paper. When I carefully opened it, a note was written on.

' _This is my best guess._

 _1: K_

 _2: M_

 _3: S_

 _4: W_

 _5: F_

 _Hope I'm right.'_

Huh...what did this mean?

"She doesn't have her Bottolet, does she?" Zraiko asked, taking my attention away from the slip.

"No, all I found was this note." I showed it to him.

Zraiko nodded, reading the note. "Strange…"

"Nothing on Kozaki or Fraize." Mest shook his head.

"Mei and Weise also do not have their Bottolets." Riko gulped.

None of them have their Bottolets? Where are they? It's...a rule, right? A rule to keep them nearby. So then...where are they now?

"Ah, allow me to look around the room!" Riko nodded, confidently. "Because of the rule, they must be nearby! I believe I'll be able to find them here somewhere!"

"Go for it." Zraiko nodded, then kneeling over to check Mei's sleeping body. "Hmm…"

"What's up?" I asked, leaning in.

The hacker turned to me. "Go and check their necks for me."

Go...Go check their necks…?

"Alright…" I walked around each person, checking each of their necks asked. What I found was...strange. Fraize, Kozaki, and Weise all had some kind of...stab mark on their necks. Sayino's neck didn't have a mark at all…

I told Zraiko about my findings, him then standing up and scratching his chin. "Mei's marked, too. Only Sayino doesn't have one…"

"Perhaps the stabs were...an injection of a sleeping drug." Mest raised an index finger. "Creating an environment as though all five were dead."

"And Sayino doesn't have one because she was actually killed." I crossed my arms. "What if she was killed first...then hidden away while the others were kidnapped?"

"Kidnapped? Is this the right word?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "It's more like...being used to set a stage."

I knocked on my helmet, trying to get myself to concentrate. "Mmh...I think Sayino must've been killed before everyone else was tied here."

"Do you think it was Mei?" The hacker crossed his arms. "She was missing while we were all together. It's suspicious, to put it simply."

"But that doesn't make sense…" I shook my head. "Mei doesn't have an alibi, but her motive was to Kozaki…"

"Is it possible...for Sayino to have had a motive from Mei?" Mest tilted his head. "Perhaps...she tried to kill her and Mei fought back?"

I shook my head again. "Sayino wouldn't kill someone. I believe that."

"Belief isn't enough." Zraiko kneeled over by the motorcyclist, investigating her body more. "...What if she could've snapped, like Anne?"

I frowned. "Absolutely not!"

"We must at least discuss it, Kyohi…" The tattoo artist sighed.

But I didn't want to to discuss it. Maybe I was in denial, but...no, I refuse to believe Sayino would want to kill.

"Aha!" Riko walked over to us while carrying the tablets. "I've found them, over here!"

We walked over to see Riko take out the missing Bottolets. They were dumped into what looked like a basin of water. Bloody water.

"I believe...this is a problem." Mest pressed his index finger to his temple. "It's a rule to not damage your Bottolet, after all…"

"Allow-me-to-insight-you-fools-!" Monobotto bursted into the conversation, seemingly from absolutely nowhere. "You-see. These-tablets-are-waterproof. It-would-be-foolish-not-to-include-this-feature."

Waterproof tablets…did the culprit know that?

Actually, what I want to know is...what were they doing in the sink in the first place? I guess that's another mystery to be solved, then. I took out my own Bottolet to jot down some notes about what we've uncovered so far. I think...I think that covers everything.

"Let's help the others out of these seats, then." Mest nodded, walking over to Fraize to untie the rope.

"Are you sure we've got everything?" I asked, just to make sure. "We haven't missed anything, right?"

"Unfortunately, there is a startling lack of clues here." Zraiko crossed his arms. "We have to move on for now, until the others awaken."

"Alright." I nodded, walking over to Kozaki to help him out.

Well...we're all done with investigating this room now. While we wait for the others to wake up, we have to find some other way to be productive.

"Shall we check Sayino's dorm room?" Riko suggested after stepping back from Weise. She picked up the Bottolets as well, slipping them onto her person. "Perhaps we might find some clues there?"

"Hey, is it okay for you to carry them around like that?" Zraiko asked, quizzically.

"I-will-allow-it-for-now." Monobotto tilted its head lightly. "After-all-this-is-a-crime-scene. Be-sure-to-return-them-later."

"I understand." Riko nodded, lightly.

"We will check Sayino's dorm...and the kitchen." Mest nodded. "Mei was there, or so it would seem. The knives also came from the kitchen, it's significant that we check there for clues."

Well...it's worth a shot. Maybe we might find the motive envelope she recieved or some other clues to help us. Any scrap of evidence is good evidence, right?

"Right. And then we'll come back here." I nodded. "Then...we'll ley Sayino in the garden."

With the four of us in agreement, we headed over towards the dormitories. Monobotto, on the other hand, spun around carefree.

* * *

Sayino and I were walking together in the halls on the way to the Mono-Shift Room. We had gotten a message about everyone meeting together, so we decided to walk over as a pair. We were just coming from the arcade, as she and I began to regularly play air hockey together almost whenever we had freetime.

It became our way of coping, I guess. Using our emotions to play with intensity, but also finding fun in it as well. Sayino would tell me about her time in Manchester. In return, I told her about life in Cape Town.

"Why did you decide to stop studying law, Sayino?" I asked, once. "Motorcycling could've been a hobby, but you went and made it your whole life."

She chuckled while grinning lightly. "Follow your heart."

"Huh?" I blinked, confusedly.

She nodded, looking to me. "I did it because...my heart told me to. My heart wanted to run wild, to break free. Sure left my folks gobsmacked, though. After all, they were expecting me to become an attorney and all." She laughed a bit. "But I always was a wild one, they should've known things wouldn't go to plan."

"And so...you let your heart guide you?" I gulped. "Isn't that dangerous, Sayino? I mean...if you had stayed in law school, you would've had a stable future...right?"

The motorcyclist smiled. "Heh...I reckon I wouldn't be here in this game right now, then."

I gulped, looking down. "I-I guess not…"

After a brief silence, Sayino knocked on my helmet. "Hey, hey. That means we wouldn't have met. You're a cool kid, you know? I don't regret meeting you or the others." She leaned in a bit. "I hope you don't regret meeting us."

I shook my head. "Nah, I don't regret meeting you guys." I looked up, smiling. "I mean...you're all pretty great. I hope we can all stay friends after we escape."

She chuckled. "Well, I know I'll still be your friend, Kyo."

Kyo. Yeah, that's a nickname I only let my closest friends call me. I told Sayino about it when we were first starting to get closer. She promised to only use it in private between us, which was just what I wanted. I was so certain that Sayino was just like my sister that...I treated her as if she was.

When we sat together at the party the night before Tikari and Neizami died, Sayino talked to me about Manchester as usual. I didn't mind how often she spoke about it, as it made her feel revved up. As long as she was enjoying herself, I would do probably anything with her.

"And then you know what happened?" She laughed. "Kassy and I flew off the roof! You should've seen the looks on their faces! Mum was gobsmacked, the whole thing was bloody brilliant!"

"Wow." I nodded along, smiling. "Sounds like you had a blast."

"Damn straight." Sayino smiled, taking a swig from her glass of rice wine. She lowered it to the floor with a sigh, patting her stomach with a grin. "Ah, that really hit the spot. Though, that's enough for me. Wouldn't want to get hard drunk and all."

"Really?" I asked, tilting my head. "Why do you say that?"

Sayino smiled again, shaking her head. "DUI almost costed me my life. It might've been my talent that saved me. Ever since, I've never allowed for myself to party hard. It's a lesson I learned for life." She turned to me. "You can still go all out of you want, Kyo."

I shook my head, lightly. "No, if you stop...I'll stop too." I then put my own bottle down. "Besides...maybe it's not the best to be drunk in a place like this."

Sayino watched over the crowd. "Yeah, that's true. Look at all 'em wankers over there, damn drunk they are. Except for Riko and Mest, anyway."

I looked around the entire scene of the party. Kozaki and Fraize were sitting on the floor together, getting cuddly or something like that. Meanwhile Mei and Zraiko were having a tug of war with Weise as the rope. Anne, Tikari, and Neizami were all sort of floating around mindlessly. The entire scene was, to put it simply, a drunken mess.

"Sayino?" I turned to the motorcyclist. "Can you tell me more about Manchester?"

"More?" She chuckled. "I've been telling you so many stories of mine, I was kinda hoping maybe you could tell a story for once." She sat upright. "You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

I shook my head. "Well, no...it's just that my life in Cape Town isn't as darn near as close to exciting as your life. My stories might put you to sleep."

"Nah, go for it." Sayino encouraged me. "I'm all ears. Well...not literally all ears. You know what I mean."

I sat upright as well, looking away for a moment. "Well...when I was little, my dad and I found a tree that had fallen over from a recent storm. The tree was still young, it was sad to see it fall over. My dad has skills in woodcraft, it's his job after all. So he and I worked together to carve it into a hockey stick. That's because I wanted to play, but didn't have enough money at the time to buy myself a stick. Once it was all polished and done, my sister tied a bandanna around where the handle is as a good luck charm. I've always used that stick, even today. It means the world to me."

Sayino tilted her head, lightly. "Your sister? Didn't know you had one."

I bit my lip, looking away. "Y-Yeah...I _did_ …"

Sayino patted me on the shoulder. When I turned around, I could see her expression was crestfallen. "Do you...want to talk about it?"

I looked down, taking in a deep breath. "Yeah...my sister was a lot like you. Energetic, optimistic, funny, adventurous...she lit up my whole world. We were super close, as we were twins and all. She was the one who pushed me to chase my dreams harder than anyone else."

Sayino nodded, slowly. "I see...then what happened?"

I took in a deep breath again, looking back to her. "Cancer."

Sayino closed her eyes, not saying anything in response.

"Even when she was sick, even when she was _dying_...she smiled." I found myself tearing up. "She never stopped smiling, Sayino. I wish...I wish I could be even half as brave…"

Sayino pulled me in for a hug, knocking on my helmet lightly. "You _are_ brave, Kyo. So damn brave. Believe in yourself, okay?" She showed me a gentle smile. "You gotta live for your sister, right?"

I nodded slowly, closing my eyes. "Right."

* * *

When we arrived in Sayino's room, there was a feeling of discomfort all around. The silence of a room occupied with someone who always made her presence known. Empty, it was so darn empty.

Everything seemed to be the usual. Her bed was a mess with blankets and pillows tossed around, chairs moved around, books and papers laying all over the desk and the floor...yeah, this is her room all right.

"Oh my…" Riko held her hands together. "It's hard to imagine that finding clues will be an easy feat."

"Agreed." Zraiko frowned, lightly. "The damn room looks like a natural disaster."

Regardless of how her room looks like, we've gotta find clues. I decided to walk around to her desk, flipping through papers. I found a lot of notes written down, most of them being mindless and accompanied by silly doodles.

But...then I found some papers that felt out of place. Papers with strange drawings and diagrams. I picked up one to investigate closely.

' _It's not a coincidence, right? No, it can't be. It has to be about us. I might be a bit dim, but even I know that there's no way this is by chance. If that's true, it can only mean one thing. Now all I have to do is make sure I get the order right…'_

Huh…?

I took a look at another page, trying to find out more.

' _I've been having strange dreams lately. Dreams that...may actually have been reality. Every night, we are taken away to a strange place outside the killing game. We're tested on, or so it seems. For the longest time I could remember hearing someone's name without knowing who it was. That was until that Zraiko got Monobotto to name that person. Erito Hajimoto, that guy. He's everywhere. I hear all these things about testing, about how we're side tests for a greater experiment...is this even just a killing game? Or...is there something more that we don't know about?'_

…

What is this?

"No clues, are there?" Mest asked, walking around.

I showed the tattoo artist the papers I found. "Well...I'm not sure if these are relevant to Sayino's death or not, but...they're very strange."

"We'll take anything we can get." Mest nodded. "Hold onto those papers just incase."

"Got it." I nodded, then taking notes into my Bottolet.

I continued to look around when I noticed Zraiko was peeking into Sayino's trash bin. He turned to me, his face showing an expression of deep concentration.

"Everything okay?" I asked the hacker, worriedly.

He sighed, pulling out two halves of an envelope. It seemed as though it was opened first, then being ripped in this way before being discarded. When he put the two halves together, they lined up to show a name.

' _Weise Vayrne.'_

"Where's the letter?" I looked around through the bin.

Zraiko shook his head. "I haven't found it...and I have no idea where it could be."

I looked through the entire bin, pushing aside sheets of scrap paper and trash. No, I couldn't find a motive letter. I couldn't find why Weise would have a motive for Sayino. I couldn't find anything at all...

Hold on...what's this flash drive?

"Hey, guys?" I pulled the flash drive out from Sayino's trash as well. "Besides the motive letter...doesn't this seem out of place?"

Riko walked over to me, holding her hands together. "It has the same symbol as Monobotto does over its eye. I believe we must examine it."

"Where do we even plug it in?" I turned to Zraiko. "Your Shift Room?"

Before the hacker could say anything, Monobotto bursted into the conversation from nowhere. "That-flash-drive-can-only-be-used-in-the-observatory-fools."

"Monobotto? Where did you come from?" Riko asked, worriedly.

"Silence-fool." Monobotto spun around. "I-am-inevitable."

I looked back into the bin one last time, then taking notes on what I've found in my Bottolet. Now that we've covered all we could find in her room, it's time to go to the kitchen.

When we arrived, Riko walked over to the counter out of distress. "T-There's blood here!"

"B-Blood?!" I asked, shocked. I hurried over to her side.

She was right. There was a kitchen knife with blood on it, though it wasn't too much. I would've brushed it off as someone accidentally cutting themselves if it weren't for the fact we were investigating a murder now…

"You don't think this is relevant to the murder, do you?" The clarinetist gulped. "C-Could it not have been an accident?"

I shook my head slightly. "I don't know, Riko. Gosh, I wish I knew."

"Looks like the knife was cutting things besides fingers." Zraiko pointed to a cutting board. "See this?"

We walked over to see a vanilla bean was split open, there being some drops of blood around the board itself.

"When I think about it, the cake _did_ have vanilla frosting." Riko felt at her fedora in thought. "It seems Mei might've cut herself while getting the vanilla out…"

Gosh do I hope that's what happened. I really hope this is a false alarm.

Mest walked to the counters to check the drawers. "Any idea as to how many knives the kitchen stores?"

"Allow-me-to-answer-your-question-fools-!" Monobotto rolled into the kitchen.

"You again?" Zraiko asked, frowning lightly.

The robot ignored him, spinning around lightly. "The-kitchen-restocks-all-of-its-knives-after-a-day-passes-by-in-the-case-that-any-go-missing. At-most-the-kitchen-can-hold-three-knives."

Hmm, this might be really important to note. I'll take note of this quickly in my Bottolet.

After watching Monobotto depart, I walked around the kitchen some more to find any other clues. Riko checked the cabinets, opening and closing them one after another. Mest checked the walls, floor, and ceiling to look high and low. Zraiko hunted to inspect every nook and cranny, turning over dishes and even looking into the refrigerator. I took notice to the kitchen trash bin, walking over out of curiosity. Inside were scraps of food, paper towels...and something else. Torn scraps of paper, about eight or so pieces in total. I took them out carefully to lay onto the table. That was when I realized what the letter was about.

This is...this is Weise's letter. Why was it ripped up and thrown out here in the kitchen?

Nevermind that. Right now, I need to find out what the contents of the letter hold! Carefully piecing it back together like a puzzle, I took a picture of the completed letter with my Bottolet to then read.

' _Cedric Vayrne is the one your parents owe that money to. Cedric Vayrne is Weise Vayrne's father. Having lost his wife, his son is the only family he has left. He's watching him closely. You could threaten him to get his father to call it off.'_

This is...the motive for Sayino. I'm a little shocked, to be honest. She did mention her parents were in the government, but...she never mentioned them owing money to anyone.

Could it be...this happened after she was taken? That she didn't know until receiving this very motive?

Riko peeked over my shoulder, gasping lightly. "Oh my goodness…"

Zraiko and Mest joined into the huddle to check out the letter as well. They both exchanged glances before turning back to us without a word.

They...They aren't suspecting that _Weise_ did this, are they?! That Sayino went after him, that he killed her in retaliation…

No, no. None of this makes sense at all. Weise wouldn't come up with such a horrific crime scene. Weise wouldn't even dream of killing someone. His mental health...there's no way he could handle something like that at all! There has to be some kind of explanation for this...and I think the only place we'll find it is...in the class trial.

"Shall we head back to the Final Puzzle Room?" Riko asked, gulping.

"Yes, indeed." Mest nodded. "Let's head over now."

And so...we made our way back to the Final Puzzle Room.

* * *

When we got there, we found two of our sleeping friends had awoken. They were in a state of confusion, as well as a state of fear. Was it fear? Perhaps dread.

Fraize looked over to us upon noticing us enter the room. He stood up rather quickly, perhaps too fast for his own good. He stumbled a little only for Riko to hurry besides him and support him.

"What's going on?" He asked, worriedly. "I woke up to el robot mentioning una investigación...i-is someone…?"

We all exchanged glances, uncertain of what to say. It was Riko who managed to tell him, "Sayino is dead."

Fraize's eyes widened, his head shaking lightly. He couldn't manage to say any words.

Well, someone else did. Mei punched the ground in anger, breathing in heavily. She was incredibly distressed, something so unusual for her normal collective state of mind. "Mierda…"

I looked over to see Kozaki and Weise were still unconscious, though I believed it was only a matter of time before they would awaken. "What should we do now? I...I don't know where else we could possibly investigate…"

"Now would be a good time to collect testimonies." Zraiko glanced to Fraize and Mei. "Let's hear what happened to them."

Riko helped Fraize sit down once again, then sitting besides him. "What happened?"

The tour guide looked to the side. "Well...it was after I used el baño. I got a text from Kozaki, he asked me to meet con él en la sala de rompecabezas."

"Kozaki asked to meet you here?" Riko was surprised.

"He did say he was going to head out…" Mest crossed his arms. "Though, he never returned like he said he would."

I felt at my shoulder, worriedly. "What happened then?"

"Lo siento, I...I can't remember very well…" Fraize felt at his head. "I arrived here...I remember seeing...Mei was tied up." He looked down. "Recuerdo que I went over to her...and I passed out."

Mei was already here when Fraize arrived...I wonder what this could possibly mean. I turned to the vigilante to see her perspective. "What about you, Mei?"

Mei felt at her head. "Tambien, I can't remember much at all. Después de finishing my surprise in the kitchen, Makora visited me. Nosotros were going to deliver it to the garden together, pero…" She shook her head, snapping her fingers. "Everything else is blank. No idea how I got here." Looking down, she frowned. "And worst of all...Makora está muerta."

I looked to the side for a moment. "Hey, Mei? What surprise were you planning?"

Mei shrugged. "Does it matter? It wasn't much. Pollo con arroz."

I couldn't quite understand what she was saying, but based on the clues we found in the kitchen...I'm guessing it was some kind of meal. "Did you cut yourself in the kitchen, Mei?"

Mei felt at her hand, frowning. "Sí, I cut it by accident earlier while I was in la cocina preparing our pastel."

Hmm...so this all started when Sayino left to check on Mei in the kitchen. "Do you know what happened to Sayino around the time you passed out?"

Mei looked to the side. "No tengo idea…"

I took note of this in my Bottolet, then looking over to Kozaki and Weise. "Still out of it, huh?"

"If this is all the testimony we can get for now, let's move Sayino to the garden." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Time is ticking down...we can't afford to wait and do nothing."

To lay Sayino without Kozaki and Weise...I didn't like that idea. It was a different circumstance with Anne, as she had attacked them and gone into an enraged state of mind. Sayino on the other hand...she was everyone's friend. Sayino made no enemies - or so I hope to believe. I can't think of a single instance she's done something to cause someone else to spite her. That's...part of the reason why I can't wrap my mind around why she died.

Fraize and Mest carefully worked together to pick up Sayino's body. We all walked together to the garden, though hesitant. We didn't want to leave Kozaki and Weise out of it, but...there's no way we're going to resort to unethical means to awaken them.

Laying her down to the ground, I couldn't stand to watch her burial. I had to excuse myself from the garden. It...It reminded me too much of Shin'nen. I couldn't...I couldn't be there. I didn't want to feel that pain again. I was in denial, a hard denial. I refused to accept her death, I refused to believe that someone so amazing...was killed by someone. I could hear Riko singing softly in the background, I could feel the intense sorrow radiate throughout the area. I just couldn't face it. I decided to hurry back to the Final Puzzle Room. To run away? Maybe.

Well...when I got there, I couldn't find Kozaki and Weise. They just...vanished into thin air.

 _What?_

They must've woken up while we were away, and now...where are they?

I hurried back to the garden, catching my breath. The others were just about to leave when I bursted in. "They're gone!"

"What do you mean?" Riko asked, worriedly.

"Kozaki and Weise, they disappeared!" I pointed to the door.

So we ran over to the Final Puzzle Room. Sure enough, they weren't there.

"Where did they go?" Zraiko frowned. "We don't have much time left at all. The class trial will start soon."

"Let's split up into two groups." Mest tried to organize us. "Zraiko and Riko, come with me. Fraize and Mei, go with Kyohi. We'll take the first floor, you take the second."

We split up according to Mest's request. Heading upstairs via the nearest staircase, the first place we looked was the library.

He was there, without Weise. I quickly hurried over to get his attention. "K-Kozaki!"

He turned around, seemingly distressed. "Time, the time...no time…"

"Huh?" I asked him, confused.

He looked to the side, shaking his head slowly. "No time...out of time…time, what's the time…?"

It...It looked as if he was in a trance of some kind. I rubbed my hands together to slap him on his right arm to get him to snap out of it. "Kozaki!"

He blinked, then shaking his head. "H...Huh?"

"Sayino's…" I gulped, biting my lip. "We're almost out of investigation time...can you tell me what happened?"

He looked away, not answering me.

"Daisuke, what's the matter with you?" Mei frowned, lightly.

Kozaki blinked, looking back to us and shaking his head again. "I don't…"

He seemed so...out of it. Completely dazed. I nudged his arm to try and get his attention. "Kozaki, please. You gotta help investigate."

He rubbed his eyes. "Investigate...what am I investigating?"

Fraize worriedly placed his hands onto Kozaki's shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Estás bien?"

Kozaki laughed lightly, almost with desperation. "O-Of course I'm okay. Nobody's dead, we're all just...celebrating our birthdays, right? Everything is okay. We're...We're okay. Nothing is wrong." He teared up. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. We're okay. Help...Help is coming. Nobody has to die anymore. We're all-"

Fraize shut his eyes, slapping his hands into Kozaki's cheeks. "Despierta ahora!"

Kozaki stood silently for a moment before placing his hands onto Fraize's and closing his eyes. "...Why did...Why did this happen…?"

A silence. Nobody could answer him. I looked to the side before I figured I could show him some of the things we found. "Umm...Kozaki?"

He looked over to me, not saying a word.

I handed him the papers I found from Sayino's desk, as well as Weise's ripped envelope and the flash drive. I then forwarded all the notes I had taken to his own Bottolet. Of course, he didn't have it with him right now. Riko'll probably return them soon enough, by Monobotto's instructions.

"What are these?" He asked, reading the papers.

"Some evidence we found." I felt at my shoulder. "I tried my best to investigate while you were gone, but...I know I'm not as perceptive as you. I figured...you would know the best what all of this means. Especially since...some of it is about you. Oh, and the flashdrive...Monobotto said it can only be used in the observatory."

Kozaki's eyes seemed to widen upon him finishing reading one of the notes Sayino had written. I noticed he mumbled something to himself, though I couldn't make out what it was.

"We have to hurry." Kozaki spoke up, turning to Fraize and Mei. "We have to investigate that place, I just know it."

They both seemed to understand what he was talking about. I, on the other hand, was out of the loop. "What place do you mean…?"

Kozaki broke into a speed walk, waving for us to follow him. After all, time was off the essence.

When we arrived, I found out what _that place_ was. The observatory. It looks like...he wants to look at that flashdrive.

"This has to be the place where we can find answers." Kozaki knocked on the door. "Sayino's death...us all being involved in some sick science project…"

I looked to the side, gulping lightly. "Gosh...sounds scary…"

"Kyohi." Kozaki turned to me. "I need you to go join the others."

"What?" I asked, confused.

He sighed, looking to Mei and Fraize. "I'm honestly not sure what we'll end up finding, but...the Zepto project is about us. You're not involved with this."

I frowned lightly. "No, I want to help you. I want to find out why Sayino was killed."

Kozaki sighed, looking down. "I want that, too. But this isn't about you. This Zepto project doesn't involve you, and I don't want to risk you getting involved either. So please…"

I gulped, looking away. "Promise you'll tell me about what you find, then. Things don't end well when you keep secrets from us."

He smiled, shaking his head. "I know. You'll probably find out soon, but for now...go tell the others I'm okay. We'll meet you at the trial elevator, right?"

I nodded, then waving lightly. "Right. I hope...I hope I was a good helper."

"The best helper." He nodded. "Thank you, Kyohi."

With that, I turned to find the others. I hope that Weise is doing okay...

* * *

Gee, I hope that I was a good helper. It felt weird for me to step up the way I did. Though I might not be the greatest detective, I hope that what I contributed was enough. I hope what I did was enough.

If we can't solve this class trial because of a lack of evidence...it'll be all my fault.

I'm hoping, I'm believing that what I did means something.

I hope what I did can help solve the truth of Sayino's death.

I hope that this will be the final killing. I hope after this is over, we'll escape together.

For Sayino, for Shin'nen. For Neizami, too. In fact, for everyone.

Shin'nen, I'm going to come home to Mom and Dad. Sayino, I'm going to go find my own adventures. Neizami, I'm going to believe in you. Everyone, I hope you all believe in me.

And not just me. Believe in all of us, please.

…

I believe. I believe what I did was enough. I have no regrets. If I did it again, I'd do everything the same.

Let's end this, then.

Kozaki, I'm hoping I was a good enough assistant this time around. I hope you can take my findings to piece together the truth.

No, I'm not just hoping. I know you can do it. You fight for the truth. I wish I could fight like you, but...it's not like me to be a leader. After all, I'm not the captain of my hockey team. I could've been, easily...but I turned it down.

I don't know how to rally people and create synergy like you can in class trials. You can point out the truth and get everyone to see it together. I want to be a valuable member of your team to find who the blackened is. We're going in to the match of our lives, so I'll do everything a guy like me _can_ do. Even if it's just tossing up theories that turn out to be wrong, I want to participate in the truth you find.

In this class trial, I'll step up my game. I'm going to make sure we get justice for Sayino.

That's a promise, okay?

* * *

Slowly opening the door of the observatory, I stepped inside with Fraize and Mei.

"Hey, are you sure you can do this?" Mei squinted her eyes at me.

"We're the only ones who can." I shook my head. "We're the only ones involved in Zepto."

"You can sit out, Daisuke." Mei pointed to the wall. "Go on, siéntate."

I frowned, lightly. "No. I know what we need to do." I then inspected the flash drive carefully. "Let's do it."

Plugging in the flash drive into one of the computers, a menu opened up with files to inspect.

"Como supiste that would work?" Fraize asked, surprised.

I felt at my head. "I had...I had a feeling…" I shook my head. "Besides, Kyohi said this is the only place it _can_ work. If it doesn't work at all, well...that would be fucking cheap."

"Ah, yo comprendo." Fraize nodded.

I examined the files with Mei and Fraize looking around with caution. There were five files, each one with a number.

"I'll...read these files, then." I bit my lip.

"Are they even pertinente?" The vigilante asked me, skeptically. "It could be a waste of time, Daisuke."

I shook my head. "No, no. If Sayino had this...it must mean something."

Fraize and Mei exchanged glances without a word.

"Please…" I looked back to them. "I know I'm not all there mentally right now. I'm...shocked?"

The two nodded in return, waiting patiently. With that, I read the first file.

 _'Subject Number One: Kozaki H. H. Daisuke._

 _Number One, our very special experiment. He has responded with violence, shown incredibly quick thinking, as well as being a perfect facsimile to what Erito called his 'First Life.' See page 85 for more details._

 _Everything seemed to be going naturally at first until Number One began to awaken during procedures. Not just any of the mindless side experiments, but during cleaning sessions as well. It's caused progress to slow dramatically._

 _Some speculate this is because his personality was able to establish itself so strongly that we completely underestimated him. Erito is, however, intrigued._

 _As of recent, Erito has been extremely humored by Number One. In fact, he declares that the experiment was more successful than he could ever have dreamed._

 _Number One is estimated to reach 100% cleansed within the next week or so. Once this is achieved, we will be able to begin the next stages of the Faceless Renaissance.'_

...What the...what the hell is all of this? What the fuck is this about a 'First Life' and shit?

Is…Is this talking about...how my memories were taken…? My memories about _Danganronpa?_

…Or, could it be…

My memories since I...attempted to take my life…

My first life...then what life and I living right now?

Wait a minute, why would those fucking cultists even know about that?! _Let alone, how?!_ It's as if they've read my whole life like a book. No, not just read it, studied it as if they would be tested on it! How could they possibly know such private things about me - things only my family would know?

And then there's this other shit I don't understand. 100% cleansed, Faceless Renaissance...what the hell does it all mean?!

"H. H." Mei crossed her arms. "Tienes dos middle names?"

I awkwardly chuckled. "Yeah. My parents wanted my dad's parents to come up with my middle name. Neither of them could agree on it, but they both knew they wanted it to start with H and...here we are now."

"Hmm…" Mei looked to the side for a moment. "Keep reading the files por favor, Daisuke."

I nodded, selecting the second file.

 _'Subject Number Three: Mei C. Jiana_

 _Number Three often responds with violence, though that is to be completely expected from her. She is headstrong, has an iron will, and it seems as though any attempts we've made to suppress this nature have failed. Similarly to Number One, we've had to tamper with her 'special item' to prevent it from functioning properly. Otherwise Number Three could easily kill the entire population of subjects with just the twitch of a trigger. See page 94 for more details._

 _It's incredible to see one of the youngest of the entire population having arguably the most maturity. We speculate that she will likely survive the killing game due to her critical thinking and survival instincts._

 _One final thing to note is that her heart condition has stabilized since our recent procedures. In fact, it seems as though we'll only need a few more days of operation. Until then, we will continue to monitor her as normal.'_

Huh...there's nothing here about cleansing for Mei. Maybe that means all of our 'tests' are unique to us. What I find strange is...they're speculating about her surviving the game. They don't have that written down in my report. Why would that be?

You know, the weirdest thing is that the report said her gun was rigged to not work. So...her whole threat with killing me earlier over my talent didn't even mean anything in hindsight. She couldn't even kill me if she wanted to!

"Continue, Daisuke." Mei shrugged. It seems she didn't care at all for what was written about her. Either that, or she was super pissed and didn't want to talk about it at all.

I wanted to ask Mei about her heart condition, but...that stern look on her face showed it wasn't a good time. Do it later, at a better time. We have to finish reading the files before the investigation ends.

"Got it." I nodded, gulping. "On to the next one…"

 _'Subject Number Six: Ramón A. Loarte.'_

Fraize frowned lightly in response to being identified with his dead name. I patted him on the shoulder lightly to comfort him, to which he smiled lightly in return.

"I can skip it, if you want." I offered.

He shook his head. "Por favor, read the file. Estoy listo."

I nodded slowly, then turning back to the file.

 _'Number Six has recently shown a rise in violence. It seems to stem from the very first murder, gradually growing to its current peak. These lashes are not out of selfish means, but rather to protect those who are important to him._

 _Number Six, interestingly enough, has gotten into a romantic relationship with Number One. This entire situation is unorthodox, we had no plans for such a thing as this to occur. However, due to Erito's amusement, we were instructed not to intervene. Especially due to Number Six's display of violence after Number One was nearly fatally wounded. Many of us agree that this budding romance between the two is quite...incredible. To think that our experiment that is Number One would fall for someone in the killing game...we've all decided to watch and see how this will impact things._

 _Besides that, we've noticed how Number Six is incredibly bothered by being referred to by his birth name. This is due to the circumstances surrounding his father and the mafia, see more on page 103. Because of the trauma now clouding this name, Number Six has no desire to be recognized in this way. Unfortunately for him, almost everything here has been set up to identify students by their birth names. The only thing we had time to swap out was the plate on his door. The reason being the game was about to begin, and also we were too lazy to put in all the effort to replace every single dead name with his new one._

 _Lastly, we believe Number Six is likely to survive. This being because of how close he is to Number One. Master Erito's amusement in him may also have him be spared and saved for the next phases of the project. Only time will tell.'_

From what I could gather, these cultists don't give a shit about us at all. They...treat us like lab rats, as if we weren't even _human._ I mean...the way they could be so amused about my relationship with Fraize, as if we were merely creatures in a petri dish acting in a revolutionary manner…

What bothered me the most was...they seem to want Fraize to live _just_ so they can continue to be amused. They're completely looking at him like a creature. I want Fraize to survive, too. In fact, I want all of us to survive...but this?

This isn't about surviving a killing game anymore.

There's another project going on in the background. I'm scared for what will happen to us if we don't escape in time. What if we'll be forced into this new project?

Can...Can things get any worse than they are now?

"Dos más." Mei pointed to the screen.

So far this information has been revealing, but...revealing about Sayino's death? I'm not sure. I could just jump right into her own file, to skip over this unknown person.

No, no I can't. Even if it saves time, I need to know everything.

This mysterious fifth person...we are about to find out the truth of his or her identity right here!

 _'Subject Number Seven: Weise Vayrne.'_

…

What?

N-No, I...I must've read that wrong.

…

I read it again.

…

And again.

…

Weise...Weise? Weise is…?

I couldn't believe it, or rather...I didn't _want_ to believe it. Why is Weise involved in _this?_

There's no way this can be right. I mean...I just...I can't fathom why…

Deep breath. Read the file.

 _'Despite being a pacifist and general coward for every single session prior, Number Seven has finally begun to show signs of violent response. We theorized this to be a direct result of him killing Number Fourteen, despite it not being his fault. As it currently stands, he is so emotionally vulnerable that he is extremely likely to be manipulated now._

 _Number Seven is desperate for a figure to look up to, especially due to finding out about his mother's passing. He never had a closeness to his parents, mostly due to them being busy all the time and being unable to spend time with him. Instead, his mentor took on the father figure role. Adeléis Ikaika, the world renowned fashion designer, taught him everything he knows about not just fashion itself...but perhaps even what it means to be alive. Number Seven grew up in an incredibly sheltered and closed environment. The only people in his life included his parents, his butler, his mentor, and his mentor's child. Because of this, Number Seven is incredibly poor when it comes to making relationships with others. In fact, he has only made perhaps three relationships with students here. The first being Number One, Number Seven looks up to him as though he were an older brother. Next is Number Eleven, to which he has recently grown close to and sees as a sort of mother figure. Lastly, he had grown close to Number Ten, but is currently questioning their entire friendship due to feelings of being betrayed and being used._

 _Due to Number Seven's intense emotional instability, we speculate he does not have much longer to live. Well...if he were under normal circumstances, anyway. See on page 122.'_

I took some time to carefully read through every sentence. I wanted to absorb everything, to comprehend even the smallest of details. The thing that bothered me the most was that final line: If he were under normal circumstances.

Well...what circumstances are these? What's normal, what's not? Why is Weise abnormal, then?

He doesn't...doesn't need any more weight on his shoulders. He's already being crushed by everything that happened recently. Anything more and...he'll collapse.

"Amigo, por favor." Fraize nudged me. "Sayino's file…"

…

Sayino's motive was about Weise. There's no way this can't be important.

"This is it." I said, taking in a deep breath. "The last file…"

Let's do it.

' _Subject Number Nine: Sayino Makora._

 _Number Nine is possibly the least reactive out of the five subjects. She has never once responded with violence, only looking for crafty ways to escape. It's quite unexpected to see her be such a pacifist, even in dense 'enemy' territory. In fact, we expect for Number Seven to be the solid pacifist all the way through testing. Have we, perhaps, underestimated all of our experiments?_

 _It's odd. Everything seemed to be on track at first, and yet so many things have gone awry. Erito isn't concerned at all, however. Perhaps if this is the work of a traitor, he knows swift punishment will be brought upon them._

 _Getting back to Number Nine, it seems that Number Thirteen has grown to have some form of affection to her. Not so much of a romantic one, but more of a familial one. Upon further research, we discovered just why that is. See on page 159. Number Nine seems to be aware of this as well, though has decided not to acknowledge it to him directly. Perhaps because she would rather be known by him for her own personality rather than being similar to someone he once lived with._

 _An additional thing to note is how Number Nine has more of a brain than she lets on. Though she openly acts 'silly' to improve the mood, she's spend much time in private writing and calculating things. Perhaps she is looking for her own method to end the killing game. Ever since Erito was exposed to the others for being the alleged 'mastermind' of the game, she's had this determination to work in secret to expose him. It's truly quite a spectacle._

 _Lastly, we believe Number Nine will not survive. This is for two reasons. Number one, getting too close to Erito. She's almost found out the truth of Erito's identity, and if she does...well, simply put the consequences for her will be fatal. We can't allow for him to be revealed so early on, after all. Secondly, although she has made no enemies, she might end up killing someone else. Thus, she would be executed as the blackened. We do not see it likely that someone were to kill her.'_

…

"Was this...what you were hoping for, Daisuke?" Mei asked, looking to me.

I nodded, silently. Yes, this is exactly what I needed to see. This could be a huge clue to explain how she died. Scientist speculations may not always be correct, but introduce possibilities. Possibilities as to how she died. Now I have to take what I found...and run for the truth.

"There-you-are-you-fools-!" Monobotto rolled into the room. "Having-a-nice-reunion-here? If-we-weren't-having-a-trial-now-I-would-have-knocked-you-out-!"

Great. The bucket of bolts, clearly the being I wanted to see right now.

"None-of-you-have-your-Bottolets-! This-is-a-great-offence-!" Monobotto spun around. "But-I-will-let-it-slide. After-all-the-reason-is-because-of-the-recent-death-of-Sayino-Makora. Riko-Hamoizumi-is-holding-onto-them-as-of-now. Allow-me-to-personally-escort-you."

The three of us were grabbed by the arm and dragged by Monobotto out of the observatory. In fact, we were dragged down the stairs of the library. Oh, and I hope I mentioned that we were also dragged down the stairs of the Grand Staircase. Monobotto really does like to fuck with us, doesn't it?

My entire body was aching by the time we arrived at the elevator. With Monobotto vanishing from the scene, I slowly stood up to see the others waiting. Weise was there as well, his face not changing expressions since we first found Sayino dead.

"Kozaki…" Riko walked over to me, handing over my tablet. "I'm quite...frightened to be honest."

I looked to Weise, nodding slowly. "I'm frightened, too."

Riko handed Fraize and Mei their own Bottolets. "This truth we're about to find...I'm scared of what it entails."

I closed my eyes, nodding.

There's one thing I absolutely know has to be true. Weise...Weise is an important part to solving this case. I don't know if he'll be able to handle it, but…

What am I saying? Just looking at his face now...the despair in his eyes, his dead silence.

Weise hasn't said a word. Not a single word.

"Come on, then." I walked into the elevator. "...Let's go."

Well, the elevator went down just as usual. We held hands, also just the same. I looked to Weise, only sensing a void of emotion from him.

"I promise." I whispered to him.

He slowly looked to me, biting his lip and nodding.

Yes, I promise. Our promise.

When we first found Sayino...I had to remind him of our promise.

I never make promises unless I know I can keep them.

Stepping out of the elevator, we all took our spots on the podiums. Half of us were now dead. Half of us are left...and the numbers may only continue to fall.

Someone here is responsible for Sayino's death. Solving her murder may be one of the most difficult things I'll ever do.

I'm lost. How could this happen? Right after we found out help was coming, another killing happened. Whoever did this...it must be for some other reason than trying to escape.

Please, please, please…

Make this class trial be the last.

Make this game finally end.

…

I'm going to face this head-on. I'm counting on my friends, too. We all have to do this. Let's put an end to this together.

Let's finally get the fuck out of here!

 **CLASS TRIAL, START.**

* * *

~Chapter Four, Deadly Life One, End~

~Chapter Four, Class Trial One, Start~


	25. A Silenced Cry Trial 1

Twelve, twelve and five more. Six to three, five to eight. Nine, nine four. Eleven to twenty nine, four and seven. Thirteen down ten.

"Hey, wait a minute." Mikanne looked to me, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Six to four, down two, up nine until back to six again. Twenty, thirty eight, back to three.

"Zaki...are you cheating?" He asked, worriedly.

"Huh?" I looked up, lowering the cards from my hands. "N-No, what makes you say that?"

"It's just...every time we've played this game, you have near-perfect runs." Mikanne looked to the side. "I mean...I won't be mad if you say you are. I'm just wondering, really…"

Cheating...am I cheating?

I examined the cards in my hands. One, three, six, seven, nine. With my three, seven, and nine I could combo the next turn and win the game.

As far as I was consciously aware, I wasn't cheating at all. I was reading my cards, planning my moves...and reading Mikanne. Not his cards, but him. I looked at his face as it shifted from one emotion to the next. I could see his fingers twitch when he hesitated to pick a card, his pauses slowing down time as he continued to stall his decision.

Is reading my opponent cheating? I've...never been called a cheater before. I didn't like it. I'm not a cheater, I'm...I'm sure I'm not.

"No, Mik. I swear I'm not cheating." I shook my head, sincerely. "Maybe...maybe this is the game I'm the best at."

"But Zaki, you say that for every game we play together." Mikanne pouted. "Starlight Avengers XV, Final Dreamshines RPG, checkers-"

"I stopped playing checkers." I crossed my arms.

"What?" Mikanne asked, surprised. "But you're the checkers _king!_ You even beat Mr. Armstrong in class!"

I shook my head. "Yeah, but Mr. Kohn beat me. That means I'm not the checkers king."

"Mr. Kohn probably got lucky." Mikanne pointed to me. "I bet you'd beat him in a rematch!"

I shook my head again. "There won't be a rematch, Mikanne. I'm learning how to play chess. I don't want checkers to confuse me."

Mikanne looked down before looking back to me. "If you're not cheating, how do you win so much?"

I felt at my head. "I mean...I guess I just...plan. Plan and plan...I wish I could play my life as well as I can play games."

Mikanne placed down two cards, smiling with semi-confidence. "Well then, how about these beauties? Can the game king overcome this?!"

Blinking, I giggled and placed down my cards. "I knew you would play those cards."

"H-Huh?" He looked down again. "Aw, you won? And acting like my card combo was so predictable…"

"I mean, yeah." I pointed to Mikanne. "Your face told me everything."

Mikanne looked to me again. "My face?"

"Mhm...you always have this look when you're about to put down a zero-two combo." I explained. "It told me you were going to do that on your next turn, so I was able to jump off your two with my three-six-nine combo, giving me eighteen more points. That put me over one hundred points, so...I won."

Mikanne nodded along, trying to understand me. "Wow, you can tell that just by looking at my face?"

"Mhm." I cleaned up the cards.

"I guess if I wear a mask, then I'll finally beat you!" Mikanne chuckled.

I smiled lightly. "Sure. Wanna try?"

Well, he did try. Mikanne put on a pumpkin mask that he had made for this year's upcoming Halloween party. But...even with the mask, I managed to beat him. It was a close call that time.

"I-I'm sorry, Mik…" I gulped, looking down. It wasn't my intention at all to win over and over again. Even though he was wearing his mask, the fact that he was Mikanne didn't change. He had the same body language, the same habits.

Mikanne took off his mask, sighing. "Maybe you're just too good…"

It was from that day on that I started to cheat. Not cheating to win...I would lose on purpose. I felt guilty, I didn't want to lose my best friend over some games. I don't know why I'm so good at games.

No...I'm not good at games at all. I'm good at reading people. I'm good at planning.

Is it cheating...to be good at that?

What really is cheating?

...

I think over the years, I finally learned what it meant to be a cheater.

And then...I became a cheater.

* * *

I wasn't really paying attention to Monobotto's commands. I didn't even have many truth bullets to upload besides the ones that I came up with from the observatory. Other than that, I don't really know what happened during everyone's investigation. I'm...pretty blind right now, it feels strange to be in this position.

Naturally, I didn't really have any opening statement for the trial once it began. I just stood there, awkwardly. What am I supposed to even say? Well, Sayino is dead. I know that much.

"Perhaps we should start with the events leading up to Sayino's discovery?" Riko asked, tilting her head lightly. "I feel like a timeline will be essential for solving this case."

"Agreed." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Let's start with the last time we saw Sayino alive."

"It was at the party…" Mest felt at his temple. "Sayino excused herself to see Mei."

"And as we know from Mei, they did meet." Zraiko turned to the vigilante. "Correct?"

"Yeah." Mei nodded. "I was almost finished cooking cuando Makora wanted to drag me to la fiesta."

"And...you said you passed out, right?" Kyohi asked, blinking.

"Sí. It was…" Mei tugged at her jacket. "...around the time I saw Kimizai. We passed him in the halls, verdad?" She looked to Fraize for confirmation.

Fraize nodded. "Sí, creo que this is true." He rubbed the back of his head. "Though my memory is a bit fuzzy...no recuerdo mucho."

Mest then nodded, lightly. "And you say you got a text from Kozaki to meet at the Final Puzzle Room. Then you found Mei and passed out, right?"

"Yeah, eso es correcto." Fraize nodded.

"Hold it!" I felt at my head. "I never sent you a message to meet...in fact...you sent me a message to come and see _you_."

Fraize shook his head lightly. "Pero, I never wrote a message to you like that at all."

"This is a clear discrepancy of events." Mest looked down in thought.

"Then let us go over this!" Riko smiled. "Why did Kozaki and Fraize receive messages from each other?"

Well, everyone started to toss up their theories into the air.

" **Maybe being knocked out caused them to forget."** Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "You know? When someone came up behind them...blam!"

"I disagree." Zraiko shook his head.

"Huh?" The hockey player blinked. "Why's that?"

Zraiko frowned, lightly. "Neither of them seemed to have any desire to visit the Final Puzzle Room. Why do it now?"

Kyohi looked to the side. " **Maybe they wanted to investigate it just to be safe?"**

Fraize rubbed the back of his head. "Lo siento, but I really don't know…"

I looked down, crossing my arms. "As far as I can remember, I never mentioned wanting to check out the room."

"Come on now.." Mei scowled. "You think those messages were real?"

"That is also something that leaves me confused." Zraiko crossed his arms. " **Something about them doesn't seem right…"**

A thought suddenly floated into my head. Maybe this whole time there was a reason why I felt strange about the message I got from Fraize. And so...I acted on it.

" _ **Just one second!"**_ I looked to Zraiko, holding one of the few truth bullets I had made for myself. _Fraize's Invitation._

"You sound confident." The hacker scratched his chin. "What's your reasoning?"

"It might be a long shot, but...there's a detail in the message I received that was bothering me." I nodded.

Yeah, that's right. This part of the message I received is the reason why it could've been faked.

 **The way he used my name.**

"Well...in private, Fraize and I spent time bonding together. It was when I was experiencing a pretty big emotional blow." I sighed, feeling my right arm.

I noticed Mei look away, possibly out of guilt.

"And, well…" I nodded. "I asked Fraize to stop calling me Kozaki, at least in talks between the two of us."

Riko perked up, giggling. "Aww, you have couple nicknames for each other?"

"I bet they're...Ketchup and Mustard!" Kyohi smiled. "'Cuz Kozaki wears red and Fraize wears orange."

Zraiko raised an eyebrow. "I thought mustard was yellow."

"T-That's besides the point!" I waved my arms, flustered. "My point is, if Fraize really sent this message, he would've called me by my nickname instead of my real name."

Zraiko then crossed his arms. "Are you sure about that? He could've slipped it up."

"No, I know he wouldn't do something like that." I looked to Fraize, smiling. "Because...he is the type of person who takes the significance of names to heart. Of course, I won't go and spill out why. That's something he should do when he feels ready." I closed my eyes. "But I completely trust him."

The tour guide smiled back to me. "Gracias, amigo."

There was some slight skepticism in the air.

"Yo puedo vouch for them." Mei crossed her arms. "Kimizai has expressed the importance of names to me as well."

"So this is...just one of those things we have to go off on because of belief?" Zraiko didn't look all too impressed, though he sighed and caved in. "Alright, alright. Just don't let this be the reason why we get executed."

"Hmm...this then introduces a problem." Mest looked to the side. "If the messages were indeed forged...well…"

"What is it, Mest?" Kyohi asked, blinking. "Fraize was knocked out, so the culprit could've taken his Bottolet to forge a message, right?"

"The-tablets-are-not-locked-with-a-password." Monobotto explained. "All-you-need-is-the-user's-Bottolet-to-send-a-message-as-if-it-was-them."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Kyohi blinked. "So...what's wrong with that?"

"Kozaki still had his Bottolet at the time." Mest tilted his head. "How, then, could a message have been forged?"

Hmm...I guess I have some ideas, but...I'll take some time to think about it just to be sure.

 **What does it take to forge a message?**

That would be the Bottolet belonging to the user in question, as Monobotto just stated.

 **Are there any unique circumstances that could change that?**

Hmm...instead of trying to think of how the message could've been forged from my own tablet, I need to think of how it could've been forged from another place. There are some areas that can be explored. One of them being...

 **Can Bottolets be hacked into?**

Monobotto said as long as the tablet itself isn't damaged, it would be fine. So if someone in particular was very skilled in programming, they might have been able to change their own tablet's identity. Not only would that have forged a message from Fraize or myself, but for anyone. All with the very same tablet…

"Zraiko." I turned to the hacker. "I'm not accusing you, but...is it possible for the Bottolets to be hacked into?"

"So that's what you're thinking." Zraiko crossed his arms.

"Monobotto is always careful with its words." Mest nodded. "It did not say taking another Bottolet was the _only_ way. That must mean our culprit used some other means of forging."

"And naturally, hacking is one of the biggest possibilities." Zraiko shook his head. "But no, I am not the culprit. I was with Kyohi, Riko, and Mest for the entire time up until we found Sayino."

Zraiko has an alibi, I see. After all, it wouldn't even make sense for him to be the culprit. Not after how hard he worked to finally send out a distress call. The killing game, for him, was over. There was no need for another murder.

But...even if Zraiko isn't the killer...could he be completely innocent?

Before I could press further, a new discussion swept in.

"I would like to address one thing." Mest crossed his arms. "Zraiko, Riko, Kyohi, and myself could not have committed the crime. That means...it had to have been one of you four we found in the room still alive."

"Q-Quoi...?" Weise asked, distressed. It was the first time in the trial he spoke up, and...I think I know why. "B-But, c'est impossible!"

"I must agree with Vayrne." Mei nodded. "We were all knocked out. There's no way any of us committed the crime."

"But what if the killer knocked themselves out after the crime?" Kyohi asked, trying his best to participate. "Then...Then wouldn't it have been possible?"

Damn, he has a good point there. I know for sure I saw Mei and Fraize unconscious in the room when I arrived. Sayino wasn't anywhere around at the time. By that logic, the killer had to have come into the room after me.

But...But that would mean…

"So you're saying…" I crossed my arms. "That Weise did it?"

And this...was exactly why Weise had been so quiet. Because he was emotionally convinced...that he killed Sayino. The fashion designer covered his face, already feeling defeat. He had killed someone before, albeit it not even being his fault. But...his clean record was now ruined. It wouldn't be far fetched for him to be suspected of Sayino's murder.

"S'il vous plaît, it wasn't me…" Weise shook his head, his voice soft and shaky. "I...I didn't kill Sayino…"

"Please, let us not have accusations at this time." Riko held her hands together, worriedly. "I'd...like to have all of our evidence cleared up before then."

"Alright, I understand." Zraiko nodded. "This, however, does not change the fact that the four who were knocked out are lacking cohesive alibis."

So...he's saying the killer has to be either myself, Fraize, Mei, or Weise?

I...I can't imagine any of them doing something like this. And at the same time...I know for a fact I am not the killer. It just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Something here is foul...but I don't quite know what.

"So Fraize, you said you went to the puzzle room after receiving the message." Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "Then you passed out, right?"

Fraize nodded in response.

"Then...at some point after, Kozaki was lured to the Final Puzzle Room as well." The hockey player continued. "So then...who could've lured him over if both Mei and Fraize were unconscious, Sayino was missing, and the others were still together?"

I crossed my arms to think. Well...the only unaccounted person for this whole thing is...Sayino herself.

That can't be right, though. I'm sure of it.

"And then after Kozaki was knocked out, some time passed and Weise eventually ended up there as well." Zraiko turned to myself and Weise. "You two, we have yet to hear your testimony. Speak up, then."

Going with what the others were thinking, I explained everything I experienced up until losing consciousness. Once I had finished, they turned to Weise expectantly.

But Weise couldn't manage to say anything. He was too afraid, he didn't want his words to be used against him. He stood in place, quivering and desperately looking for help. He feels like he is the culprit, no matter how desperately he doesn't want to be. Iif even he is convinced…

No, I made a promise.

"I'll explain everything that happened after I woke up." I offered. "Weise and I woke up at around the same time, and...right now it looks like he isn't ready to talk."

There were mixed feelings in the group. Some of us felt bad for Weise, others seemed to be impatient.

Well...when I say others I mean specifically Mei. She was always the impatient type, though. It wasn't a surprise.

"Okay…" I looked to the side. "Here's what happened…"

* * *

I opened my eyes to be greeted by a wave of fatigue. My body felt unwilling to move, pushing me to fall asleep again. I succumbed to that will to sleep, simply because...everything was just exhausting.

Close your eyes, let yourself slip away. I'm tired of this constant tug of war. Every passing day feels like a loss even if we haven't lost another one of us. The killing game was pushing me to my limit...and all I wanted was a break.

That sleep was cut off when I was woken up by Weise. The young fashion designer shook my shoulder again and again. "Mon amie, wake up!" He begged me to come out of the realm of sleep. "Please, please help!"

Opening my eyes again, I looked over to Weise to see he was just inches away from my face. I had never seen him so distressed before.

"She's dead, she's dead!" He cried out, still shaking me.

Who...Who's dead?

I slowly stood up, feeling at my head. Dead? No...that's impossible. Nobody can be dead. The...The game is over…

Weise grabbed me by the hand to lead me across the room from where we were sleeping on the floor. That's when I saw that...we really did have another death on our hands. And there she was. Sayino…

I was overwhelmed with emotion. No, overwhelmed doesn't even describe it. I was overloaded, all these feelings screaming and shouting at me at once. I broke.

I dropped to my knees. That was the only thing I could do. I couldn't believe it. It made no sense at all.

Why?

That's all...that's all I wanted to know. Why was she dead?

Well, literally it was because there was a knife in her chest. You can't exactly live in a situation like that.

I just wanted to know...who would do this?

The killing game was over...we all celebrated together. We were all content and confident that we would all survive together.

And yet…

It felt like a slap in the face, a punch to the gut, a bullet through the heart. Everything shattered in an instant, all of our naive hopes.

…

Seeing Sayino like this reminded me why hope disgusted me so much. We naively believed that the game was over. We lowered our guard and we let another murder happen. Sayino...Sayino is dead because we were hoping for the end.

It just goes to show hope is as empty as an abandoned promise.

And what do we have now?

We have a miserable reminder as to why we all are truly fools.

I looked over to Weise to see him covering his face and sniffling lightly. I stood up to pull him in for a hug and pat his back gently. He didn't say anything in response.

Looking around whatever room this was, I noticed that Fraize and Mei were nowhere to be seen. I was confused, after all I had seen them myself before I passed out. Where did they go?

My mind started to catch up when I realized everyone must have gone investigating Sayino's death. They must've already investigated this room, then. After all...it's the room where her body was found.

So then...what's there to investigate?

Weise was still failing to find anything to say. I stepped away so that I could move his hands away from his face. He might've been wearing tear proof mascara, but that didn't mean he himself was tear proof.

"Talk to me, Weise." I showed him a gentle smile. "You need to be strong right now, okay?"

Weise shook his head. "Kozaki...je suis the killer…"

"What?" I asked, not knowing if he was telling the truth.

"C'est true...it has to be true…" Weise sniffled. "Because...nobody else could've done it…"

"What do you mean?" I tried to comfort him. "Come on, buddy."

"Vous, Fraize, and Mei were sleeping...Riko, Kyohi, Mest, and Zraiko were still at the party…" He looked down. "I'm the only one who could've killed her…"

"Do you remember killing her?" I asked him.

"N-Non, but...I didn't remember killing Neizami either!" He burst into tears.

I sighed, patting Weise gently. "...There has to be someone else who killed her."

"S-Someone else?" He asked, voice quivering.

I nodded. "Go to your room so that you can rest for now. You can't investigate anything like this."

"Okay…" He looked down, biting his lip.

I patted him on the head. "There's not much time left for the investigation, now is there? I have to hurry. Go on, then."

Parting ways with the fashion designer, I headed into the library. The secret room, I remembered it. There might be more just like it. If I can just prove it…

I tried to look all over the first floor. No, I could only find the freezing chamber or...whatever the hell it was. So then, I tried searching on the second floor next. Time was trickling down, and my search had been fruitless.

It's the mastermind. The mastermind killed Sayino. Nobody else could've done it. I'm sure.

I guess...thinking so much about the mastermind caused my mind to enter a trance.

Out of time...I'm out of time…

I can't stop...where is the mastermind? Where is that fucker? I have to find this Erito Zou-whatever the fuck his name is. Erito must've done this. O-Or even just one of Erito's cultist goons. I don't give a damn who, I just have to find them!

…

Out if time...there's no more time…

Time, the time...no time…

No time...out of time...time, what's the time?

And then...I felt a slapping force against me.

* * *

After I had finished sharing, the hacker spoke up. "You think...that Erito came out of hiding to kill Sayino?"

"I don't think so." I frowned. "I know so, I'm convinced. I have evidence that can support my theory, and I'll do all I can to find the truth."

"And what if that truth is that one of us really did kill her?" Zraiko asked, critically.

It seemed as though he was thinking I was being hopeful, that I was being naive. Maybe I am, I won't deny it. I don't want to see anyone else die. Why? Why die? Right when we're going to finally get out? No, there's no way any of us killed Sayino. I refuse to believe it, even if that refusal is my downfall. Is it so foolish, so stupid, so ignorant? To just close my eyes and pray?

"He says he has proof." Kyohi nodded. "I want to see it." He then looked me in the eyes. "It's what you found in the observatory...right?"

Yes. That's exactly it. I know that it can't be a coincidence that Sayino ended up with the flashdrive, then ended up dead.

"Not so fast." The hacker shook his head. "If we're going to make such accusations so dire such as claiming _the mastermind_ killed Sayino...I want definitive proof that it absolutely couldn't have been one of us. And I don't just mean with alibis. After all...the motives we received might be relevant to her death."

The motives...that's right. I had yet to think about who could've gotten a motive from Sayino. Then...someone really could've…

"The motive we found in Sayino's room was for Weise." Kyohi looked to the side. "And, well...gosh, it revealed things even I didn't know about her. I saw Sayino as a sister to me, and with how many stories she told me...I thought I knew everything. Well...clearly I was wrong…"

I looked down to the ring of truth bullets, spinning it around so that I could examine for myself what the motive was.

...I see.

So then, I guess that means I have to prove that this motive wasn't the reason for Sayino's death. Let's do it.

"The motive makes it clear." Zraiko shook his head.

"Clear?" Mei asked, crossing her arms. "Porque?"

"Because…" The hacker adjusted his glasses. **"The motive gave Sayino a reason to attack Weise."**

Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "If I'm remembering this right, then... **the motive didn't say Sayino had to kill Weise."**

"Q-Qoui?" The fashion designer asked, frightened.

"Read it for yourself." Zraiko looked to Weise.

Weise looked to the side. "Hnn…"

 **"The motive was directed to Weise,** was it not?" Mest pressed his index finger to his temple.

"That is correct, however…" Riko looked to the side. **"I do not believe that the letter was the only thing in the motive."**

"Qué quieres decir?" Fraize asked, tilting his head.

Kyohi raised his hand. "Oh! I think I know what she means!"

Well, in order for me to know what she means, I have to check all the evidence. I read the notes of all the bullets, then finding the perfect one to use.

 _ **"I think that's it!"**_ I called out to Riko. Truth bullet in hand, _Mysterious Flash Drive._

"Yeah, that's it!" Kyohi nodded to me. "We found a flash drive in Sayino's trash. It must've come with the motive letter!"

"How can we know that for sure?" Zraiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, let's just ask Monobotto!" The hockey player turned to the robot. "Well? Did the flash drive come from the motive letter Sayino got?"

The bucket of bolts tilted its head to the side. "I-suppose-I-can-admit-that."

"Well...there it is!" Kyohi smiled, proud of himself.

I didn't think Monobotto would be so willing to admit that. I wonder what it could be thinking about…

"Kozaki, can you share with us what you found in the flashdrive?" Kyohi asked of me.

I nodded. "You've got it."

Yes, if this flash drive was in Sayino's possession, it only solidifies my theory that Erito must've killed her. I explained to the others everything I had found in the observatory, well...everything except for what was in Weise's file. That was only because...I don't think he could handle that due to how he was currently feeling. If Sayino had this information, maybe he killed her because she was getting too close to the truth of his identity.

No, not just that. The truth of this whole killing game. If she had discovered everything and shared it with us…

"And because of this, Sayino was killed by the mastermind - by Erito Hajimoto?" Mest tilted his head lightly in thought. "This is the conclusion you have reached, Kozaki?"

"Yes." I gave my affirmation.

"Sorry, I have a problem with this." Zraiko shook his head. "That being...what would this flash drive be doing in _the motivation letter about Weise?_ These two things seem to have no correlation whatsoever."

It seems like Zraiko is cracking down hard on me. I don't blame him. These are some serious accusations, after all. I'm claiming that the mastermind killed Sayino, after all. It's good that he's questioning me.

That just means I get the chance to further solidify my argument!

"Then Zraiko...will you go one-on-one with me?" I looked to the hacker.

He adjusted his glasses, understanding my request. "So be it."

"It-seems-like-you-two-will-do-battle-in-" Monobotto began.

"We shall settle this with a Truth Bullet Quick Draw." Zraiko adjusted his glasses, cutting off the robot.

Feeling insulted, Monobotto was silent for a moment's notice. "Right. Then-let-us-"

"Load those damn life points, I'm ready." I took in a deep and heavy breath with a blazing determination.

Another silence from Monobotto.

"...What the hell are you waiting for?" I glared to the robot. "What? Afraid that I'm going to prove your puppet master is a killer?"

Monobotto tilted its head. "Oh. I-have-nothing-to-fear. I-already-know-Master-Erito-is-a-killer. A-dirty-bloody-killer. A-monster. A-madman. His-body-count-is-massive. Killing-for-him-is-as-easy-as-snapping-your-fingers."

The trial room was silent. At least...until Kyohi spoke up. "Well, gosh. I can't snap my fingers."

I sighed, shaking off Monobotto's taunt. I've gotta show everyone that there is a reason why this flash drive ended up in Sayino's possession. With everything in order, I faced Zraiko head on.

 **From which motive letter did this flash drive come from?**

As we just discussed, it must've come from the letter about Weise. I nailed that one pretty quickly.

 **What was in the motive letter concerning Weise Vayrne?**

The motive was about how Sayino's parents owed money to Weise's father. If you just looked at that...it's understandable to think they have no correlation.

 **What were the contents of the flash drive?**

 _Zepto Files_ was the truth bullet of my choice for this one. After all, I read the files for myself.

 **What connection do the files have to the motive?**

Now this is where things get harder. It has to be something about Weise. If I recall correctly, his file did mention information about his behavior. Then, the connection clicked for me. _File #7_ has the truth behind the flashdrive's connection to the motive!

 _ **"Bullseye!"**_

After a short moment to get things back in order, the hacker adjusted his glasses. "This seventh file is the connection?"

I crossed my arms, nodding. "Yeah. It has to be. After I thought about it...it makes sense."

"Then clue me in." Zraiko nodded back to me.

The reason for the connection between the file and the flash drive…

 **The file has information about how Weise can be threatened and how he may respond.**

"Y-You see...the thing is, I do know who's file it belongs to. I-I redacted it initially because I wanted to spare him, but..." I looked around the trial room. "The connection becomes clear. That file covers over information that Sayino could've used to take advantage of Weise. It was his file. Weise is part of the Zepto program as well."

Weise's eyes widened, though...he looked away and couldn't manage to say anything at all. Maybe because of him being in shock, or being crushed by the weight of everything else…

I'll need to comfort him later, that's a promise.

I continued. "The file reveals that he's desperate to find someone to look up to. That he never had a close relation to his parents. That his mentor essentially became his father figure. Most of all...it mentions that he is emotionally unstable. He can be used...just like how Anne used him before."

Weise covered his face, sniffling lightly. Mest then leaned over to give the young fashion designer a hug. "Be more careful, Kozaki. You don't want to upset him further."

I looked down, feeling my right arm. "S...Sorry. Please forgive me, Weise. I'm only doing this to find the truth of the case…"

Weise sniffled again, his voice replying softly. "D'accord…"

I looked around the room to see that Fraize was deep in thought. He hadn't been speaking much, so I decided to inquire him on his thoughts. "Hey, Fraize?"

"Hm?" He looked at me, blinking.

"I was just wondering about...what your thoughts were." I smiled, sheepishly. "Since you've been quiet and all."

He felt his neck. "Ah, I've just been thinking...what makes Erito connected a esto?"

I looked to the side. "Hmm…"

The tour guide then smiled and waves his hands, lightly. "Continua, por favor."

The connection between Erito and these files. The connection between Erito and this case. Yes, there are things that allude to him. I think I need to find conclusive evidence.

"On to the next discussion." I closed my eyes and frowned. "I'll prove why the mastermind killed Sayino, just...bear with me, okay?"

Everyone looked around the room with unease. It seemed as though they were unsure, or maybe that they didn't think it was possible at all.

"Alright, moving on." Mest crossed his arms. "There is...much more to discuss before we try to pinpoint suspects."

"Agreed." the vigilante nodded. "Hay más to discuss."

...I felt as though maybe they thought I was crazy. Maybe...Maybe I am. Even so, I have to keep pushing for the truth I believe in.

* * *

There was this one time, I remember. A time where I was enjoying school. It was in chemistry class, around the time when we were in the organics unit. Well...isn't it a bit ironic that chemistry class is where my best school memories were made?

Ah, nevermind that for now. It can't be helped now.

Let's see, it's been some years now since this event happened. And, well...the attempt on my life certainly has caused some memories to be fragmented.

I was sitting in the front row of the class, as that was where I always preferred to sit. It was the third table away from the door - there being four tables in a row. A table had two seats, though...nobody ever sat next to me. I guess it was because...I was a nobody.

Our chemistry teacher, Mrs. Alexander, was showing us how a certain type of functional group can make a chemical smell incredibly strong. Walking across each table, she allowed for us each to waft the chemical to smell it for ourselves.

It smelled fucking disgusting, I'll say that. Mrs. Alexander explains that some chemicals that are in fruits can actually counter the smell and make it go away. After closing the cap on the bottle, she placed it back into a special drawer.

Ten minutes passed, but that horrific, vile smell was still lingering throughout the classroom. Not only that, but it could be smelled from outside and down the hall. It was so incredibly potent, someone had to excuse themselves to go to the bathroom. We all lost focus on the lesson, being so distracted by the nauseating scent. None of us knew why it smelled so horribly, at least until we found a small puddle on the table besides mine. There, in front of one of the quieter and sweeter girls, was a puddle of the chemical that Mrs. Alexander was showing us. The class burst into an uproar.

One of the students, who I would call the grade's genius, started to dig into the lunchbox of another one of my classmates. He would eventually become the valedictorian of our grade...but that didn't change how he was still quite the comedian. Everyone loved him, at least I think so. You know...I don't know if I could ever have the pleasure of calling him my friend, but he was always...kind to me. We'd pass each other in the halls where he would show a big smile and wave to me. I would wave back with a shy smile...and then blush only moments after he passed.

Ah, nevermind about that. I'm sure he was only trying to be nice anyways. When you see someone always alone, wouldn't you offer them a smile so they could feel a little better? Or perhaps...a smile that costs so little is really worth tarnishing one's own reputation?

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Well Subaru - that was his name - started to dig into the lunch box of his table partner. I hope I mentioned that this was the lunch box he found just this morning after losing it for a whole month behind a shelf in a classroom. So, the food was quite rotten by now. Pulling out a very brown banana, Subaru hurried over to the puddle and peeled the decaying fruit open, smearing it onto the table.

The class certainly found it hilarious. However, we didn't find it to be very helpful. At this point the bell rang and students were walking by in the hallway. We had two periods of chemistry that day, so we obviously remained. Several swearing bombs were dropped, your typical ones such as 'fuck' and 'shit' as well as some...pretty unique ones. Someone passing by said it smelled worse than their grandfather's colonoscopy bag. Now _that_ is fucking disgusting.

After the next class period started, our class tried to organize ourselves to think of a solution to our chemical problem, no pun intended. I recalled that Mrs. Alexander mentioned that alcohol could react with these to form a new chemical. Most importantly, it would make the smell disappear. With that in mind, I went into the teacher's chemical room, with permission, to retrieve some ethanol. I knew it was there because I had previously gone to the chemical storeroom during our independent research projects. I had to create my own trinkets of iodine for my experiment, though that's probably a story for another time.

Subaru walked into the room to check on what I was doing, then seeing the ethanol in my hand and smiling. "That's a great idea! Hey, hey, hurry over!"

Looking over to Subaru, I smiled shyly and handed the bottle to him. No, I can't be the one to do it.

Subaru accepted the bottle and quite literally sprinted to the puddle on the desk. Turning it over, he sprayed out the whole damn thing. Grabbing napkins, he vigorously wiped the shit out of the desk to make sure the scent was terminated.

By the time the scent was finally gone, our second class period was as well. We didn't learn very much today, but I know for sure I'll never forget this.

I wonder, if only Mikanne was still there. If only Mikanne never moved away...would I have been sitting alone at the chemistry table? Would I have been eating lunch with teachers in the library because of special permission? Would I have found myself slipping day by day? Would I have tried to end it all? Would I have lost myself from me?

Would I have lost myself...to _Danganronpa?_

...Thanks for the memories, the ones we never had.

* * *

"So let's move on from the before to the after." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Are we in agreement?"

"Estoy listo." Mei tugged on her jacket. "Go on."

"Let us discuss how we found the crime scene." Riko changed the gears of our discussion. "Kyohi, a recap if you please."

"Right." The hockey player nodded. "We found Kozaki, Fraize, Mei, Weise, and Sayino tied to chairs to some strange machine. They all had knives with them, made to look like they were stabbed in the heart. However, that was true for only Sayino. The others were actually okay." He then knocked on his forehead. "Hmm...we also found their Bottolet tablets in a sink of some kind, though they were okay. That's because... Monobotto explained they were waterproof."

"And-that-they-are-!" Monobotto chimed.

"Besides that…" Kyohi continued. "We found a piece of paper in Sayino's pocket. It was some kind of note, though...I'm not sure what it means even now."

"Ah, that is right." Riko nodded. "It had several numbers and letters on it, like a code."

Fraize felt at his neck, blinking. "Pero, why would Sayino have this?"

The note…

I took a quick look at the note's contents in the truth bullet it corresponded to. Sayino wrote this, huh…

"What do you think these letters are?" Kyohi asked, to all of us. "I don't have a darn clue…"

Hmm...let's connect the dots, then.

Sayino's note had five letters: K, M, S, W, F. These five letters...the number five…

 **These are the Five Zepto files.**

Yes, the note must be talking about us five. Myself, Mei, Sayino, Weise, and Fraize.

So then...what about the numbers? And hoping that she's right? Hmm...let's think deeper here.

Where else have I seen something with five numbers before?

I need to dance around for this one. Where did the murder happen?

 **The murder happened in the puzzle room.**

Right, that means that...this might be some kind of a puzzle.

Is there anywhere we could've seen a puzzle about the number five?

 **Monobotto's mysterious riddle.**

That's probably what this is about! I'll have to share what I've found with the others.

"Guys, I think I just might know what this is!" I nodded. "Do you remember back before the trial for Ingreis? Monobotto gave us a riddle of some kind. I'm sure this is what her note was about."

"The rompecabeza?" Mei glanced to Monobotto, seeming as though she had forgotten it.

"Five-tokens-of-the-New-World-walk-among-sealed-walls." Monobotto recited the riddle. "The-first-is-Defiance. The-second-is-Justice. The-third-is-Spirited. The-fourth-is-Visionary. The-last-is-Adventurous. Would-you-surrender-their-lives-for-your-own-breaching-or-give-up-yourself-for-their-task-beseeching-?"

So this is the riddle. Alright, now we just have to decipher it.

"We all originally believed that the riddle was talking about our precious items, though...now I am not sure." Riko felt at her chin gently. "For it is the last part of the riddle, surrendering lives...and Sayino is now no longer with us."

"Maybe this means that she was trying to solve the puzzle." Kyohi nodded. "After all, Monobotto did say it would be related to this riddle, right?"

Mest felt at his left wrist. "Indeed...then perhaps with this in mind, we will finally understand the truth."

I wonder what they're thinking about. Sayino...wanted to solve the puzzle? But why? "I'm not sure…" I mean...Zraiko told us all that help was on its way. So...So why?

"Everyone, may I ask another question?" Riko spoke up. "About the Bottolets in the sink...what is their purpose?"

"It does seem to be incredibly chaotic…" The tattoo artist looked to the side.

Mei squinted lightly. "It was incredibly estúpido, if you ask me."

Even Weise couldn't help but share his thoughts about it. "O-Oui...it makes no sense to me…"

This brought up a small debate.

"The killer might've tried to break the tablets." Kyohi felt at his right shoulder. "Assuming they didn't know they were **waterproof,** anyway…"

Mei rolled her eyes. "Like I said, **el traidor fue estúpido."**

Riko placed a hand onto her cheek in thought. "Is it possible that the killer wanted to clean them?"

"Clean them?" Fraize crossed his arms. "Por qué?"

" **To wash out blood?"** Zraiko seemed to be slightly baffled. " **Or maybe to clean off fingerprints."**

Weise attempted to be helpful by chiming in. " **The Bottolets were dusty, oui!** They needed être nettoyé!"

"Vayrne, while I appreciate the breaking of your silence…" Mei sighed. "Eso es incorrecto."

"Q-Qoui?" The fashion designer, pouted. "Why?"

"Simplemente, **you do not dump electronicos en agua when they are dirty."** The vigilante shook her head.

Weise blinked a few times, worriedly. "V-Vous...don't do that?"

Mei's face looked like her mouth would fall off and drop onto the floor. "V...Vayrne…"

"O-Oui?" Weise gulped.

Giving off a long sigh, Mei waved her hand dismissively. "Te diré después, this isn't the time…"

" _ **I think that's it!"**_ I called out to Zraiko with a truth bullet in hand, _Faked Messages._ "In order to have faked those messages, the killer must've handled the bottolets. They had to make sure any trace of them would not be left behind."

"None of us are expertos de forenses, though." Mei raised an eyebrow. "We can't take muestras de sangre."

"Even still...you can't deny the blood in the sink." I shook my head. "The killer had blood on them, so they tried to clean the tablets. I feel like they might've been short for time, though...since they were left in bloody water…"

A short silence.

"...I finally have the solution." Zraiko nodded. "I don't know the ' _why'_ , but I do know the ' _who.'"_

"Por favor, what do you mean?" Mei asked, raising an eyebrow to hear the hacker's thoughts.

Fraize crossed his arms, thinking to himself. "Hmm...sí, I agree contigo, Zraiko." He then nodded. "El traidor...it can't be the mastermind."

"Huh?" I asked, surprised. "But...what do you mean?"

He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Lo siento, but...I feel like the only person who could killed Sayino...was Sayino herself. No hay otras posibilidades."

"V...Vous think Sayino...she killed herself?!" Weise's voice quivered in horror.

Fraize looked to me, sheepishly smiling. "Zaki, I'm sorry...pero…"

I felt my right arm, frowning lightly. "You...You think Sayino really...committed suicide?"

He nodded, slowly. "Mhm."

"I must agree…" Riko gulped, looking to the side.

"It is a terrible outcome...however…" Mest crossed his arms. "It is the truth."

"Estás loco?!" Mei frowned. It seemed as though the idea of suicide was quite disgusting to her.

"Sayino...she would never do such a thing!" Kyohi shook his head, desperately. "No, someone must've killed her. E-Even if that means the mastermind did!"

Zraiko took in a calm, deep breath. "No. Sayino must've committed suicide. That...is the only way this case makes sense."

I don't know if I was blinded with emotion, but I felt...a wave of energy. A persistence, a determination. I've got to prove it was the mastermind. "The mastermind is the one who killed Sayino. I'm...I'm sure of it!"

"It-looks-like-you-fools- are-split-down-the-middle-!" Monobotto spun around. "Let-us-begin-"

"Let's do the debate." Zraiko crossed his arms. "It will let the truth come to light for us all."

"I agree." I frowned, lightly.

There was a short silence. Monobotto let out a mechanical sigh. "Start-the-scrum-debate."

With our podiums lifting into the air and organizing themselves, I found myself to be opposing Zraiko, Fraize, Riko, and Mest. On my side I had myself, Mei, Kyohi, and Weise.

It's time to fight. I'll show them all, I'll show everyone. Erito Hajimoto killed Sayino, and that...is what I am certain of.

 **How did Sayino die?**

 **\- It was a suicide.**

 **\- The mastermind killed her.**

 **Debate scrum, start!**

* * *

~Chapter Four, Class Trial Part One, End~


	26. A Silenced Cry Trial 2

Death after death, despair unto an even greater one. Every coming death brought so much emotion and grief. Some deaths were simple. A knife in the chest, falling from a height, strangulation, bludgeoned to death, etcetera. However...some murders were far more...gruesome. Decapitation, being chopped up into pieces...someone was even crushed by a fucking hydrollic press.

But...undoubtedly the most terrifying of deaths were the executions. Personalized death sentences that related to the person or their talent. Some of them were...completely nonsensical and really anticlimactic. There was a nurse who was launched into space for a reason perhaps nobody will ever know. A hunter fell into a pit trap that was infinitely deep and they were never seen again. Those executions didn't please the viewers. They weren't satisfying. They didn't spill the blackend's blood all over and smear it violently into the ground.

They wanted true horror, true despair.

Some of the executions would provide that lust for blood. A pianist was hooked by a noose and dragged up and down, her lifeless body pressing the keys of a gigantic piano only for the crowd to detest the performance and have the lid of the piano slam down onto her body. A gardener was tied deeply into a rose bush with bugs eating him alive, his body then cut in half by a giant pair of those gardening scissors...those executions were favorites. They were violent, they were...exciting.

I used to wonder about what my own execution would look like. Not that I would ever want it, but only because I was curious. A personalized way to die...something that would only suit for someone like me. I imagined myself being grabbed by the neck, dragged away into an abandoned building. The atmosphere...dark, tense...knowing that death was coming in a moment's notice. The place would suddenly catch fire, and I would run with desperation to try and escape. I'd try to climb up onto the roof, only to find that the building was too tall to jump from to reach safety. The floor would collapse under my feet, my body would slam into a ledge that hadn't yet been decayed. I would be disoriented, I wouldn't realize I had become tangled into a rope. The ledge would fall, and the rope would strangle me as I would be suspended in the air. With all the smoke, I wouldn't be able to breathe any longer. The whole building would collapse, only fire to be seen…

I could only hope...that I would never meet such a terrible fate.

…

I won't. I promised. I promised that I would never kill someone.

* * *

I've never felt this sort of fire within me before. This hunger, this drive. I want so, so badly for the mastermind to be responsible for Sayino's death. I want to finally be rid of this damned game, to finally catch that fucker and bring him to justice.

Erito...your time runs short.

I held my breath seeing that Fraize was standing directly across from me. The first time he was taking a different side in the debate than mine. I didn't want it to feel like a betrayal, obviously because he has every right to pick the side he wants to, but…

I felt discouraged. He always backed me up in the past, but now it made me second guess myself. It made me wonder...if I was in the right side at all.

No. Don't think that way. This is the side you believe in, isn't it?

Is it? I...I don't know. I want to believe that I'm right.

I have to be right. I need to close off any doubts in my mind and fight!

"Zaki...estas bien?" Fraize asked, worriedly.

I shook it off with a smile. "Yeah. I'm okay. I'll show you why the mastermind killed Sayino, so get ready!"

Fraize didn't seem to be too thrilled to hear this. "Then I'll have to show you por qué estas incorrecto."

Then so be it, then. You're just as solid about this as I am, right? Well...I'll give you my all. Get ready, I'm not holding back.

"For starters. It is impossible for Erito to have been the cause of Sayino's death." Zraiko adjusted his glasses, frowning. "The evidence you've found is only a loose pointer to him."

"Some of the evidence has a lot to do with something that's been going on in the background of the killing game." Kyohi pumped his fists. "I'm pretty sure that it definitely shows the mastermind is related to this case in some way!"

"I am sorry, but I believe this evidence shows something else entirely, the mastermind being a red herring." Riko shook her head.

"Quoi?" Weise was confused. "The evidence shows this is related to le projet that's not the killing game, oui?"

"Yes, it does. However you're too quick to declare this as the mastermind's plot to murder Sayino." Mest crossed his arms. "In actuality, the evidence proves this was Sayino's doing all along."

"Makora's doing?" Mei frowned, lightly. "Pero, el motivo doesn't line up with this."

"The motive...I believe is a distraction." Riko held her hands together. "To have us look away from the truth of what truly started this chain of events."

"The trigger of this event comes from the flash drive." I leaned forward. "Sayino must've read the contents of it. And...the contents of the flashdrive are the Zepto files."

"Pero, the files do not make Erito el asesino de Sayino." Fraize shook his head.

"The only person that had anything to gain from Sayno's death would be Erito!" I frowned, gripping the rails of my podium.

Fraize leaned in as well. "Erito might've had something to gain, but that doesn't change las reglas del juego!"

"The rules of the game?" I shook my head. "That bucket of bolts can change the rules as it pleases!"

"Pero Monobotto said specifically that it cannot harm nosotros!" Fraize raised his voice. "That extends to Erito, who controls el robot!"

"But Sayino had no reason to commit suicide!" I found myself yelling out. "Zraiko told us all that he was able to contact people to help us! That we would be saved!"

"Sayino wasn't there donde Zraiko said this!" Fraize pointed to Mei and Kyohi. "Y tampoco were they!"

Sayino...wasn't there? Neither were Mei and Kyohi?

…

The debate ended in favor of Fraize's side. It ended in favor...of accepting Sayino committed suicide.

We...were wrong. I...I was wrong.

The mastermind...really didn't kill Sayino…?

No, no it's not just that. Sayino comitted suicide?

Why? Why, after everything?! Why would she ever do something like this?

I don't...I don't want to accept this as the truth at all. I'm horrified, I can't believe it.

"Zaki…" Fraize looked me in the eyes. "Por favor...you're letting this mastermind get into your cabeza. It's not good for your salud…"

I took in a few deep breaths, feeling at my head. I wanted...I wanted so _damn_ badly for the mastermind to be responsible for this. I wanted to catch them, I wanted to end this game, I wanted to save us...I...there has to be something, anything at all!

"Zaki, are you listening to me?" Fraize asked, trying to get my attention. "Termina this chase for the mastermind ahora."

No, no, no. The mastermind had to have killed her. Sayino would never do this! Erito, fucking Erito! I'll...I'll kill that bastard with my own hands! I'm tired, I'm so damn tired! I can't...I can't take this damn game anymore!

"Zaki!" Fraize shouted, losing his temper. "Despierta! It wasn't Erito! Déjalo ir!"

The entire courtroom was swept with silence. I gulped, biting my lip and looking down. I felt...I felt hurt. I didn't want to accept this as the truth. And yet...here I am now, being forced to accept it.

"Fraize, you shouldn't shout at him like that." Zraiko crossed his arms. "It's clear as day his mind has been...somewhere else."

I looked back up, shaking my head. "No."

"Hmm?" The hacker looked to me.

I slapped my cheeks with my hands, then forcing a smile. "I...I needed that. You're right, Fraize...I'm awake. Thank you...for making me see the truth."

The tour guide seemed to be shaken slightly, looking apologetic for snapping at me. "...De nada…"

So then...the truth is that Sayino took her own life. The question is...why? Why would she ever do something like this?

"If I may suggest…" Riko spoke up. "I believe now we can line up all of our pieces of evidence to show what really happened."

"Hmm...let's take a closer look at Sayino's notes we found in her dorm room." Mest nodded, crossing his arms.

"You went to Makora's dormitorio?" Mei asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yes, we did." Zraiko crossed his arms. "She left some interesting notes on her desk. They might be relevant to the truth of her death."

"I took a moment to read over her notes for myself, just to double check them from when I initially read them. The first one saying _it_ had to be about _us._

But...what is _it_ , exactly?

"Daisuke, tienes something to share?" Mei took notice to my look of concentration.

"...Yeah." I looked up. "I want to know about Sayino's notes, to break them down…"

"They do play quite the pronoun game." Mest nodded.

"Then let us discuss it." The clarinetist smiled.

So, we had a brief debate as to the meaning behind the notes.

"Maybe Sayino was collecting her thoughts." Kyohi offered an explanation. "After all, the notes all had a narrative tone, right?"

" **So it was like...a diary?"** Mest asked, tilting his head lightly.

"I disagree." Riko shook her head. "I believe that Sayino's papers were of her trying to sort out something."

"Sort out something?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms. "Specifically?"

Riko looked to the side. "Perhaps...she was trying to **solve that riddle."**

"Quoi?" Weise asked, blinking lightly. "Which one?"

Fraize stepped into the conversation. "The one Monobotto talked about antes del homicidio de Ingreis, sí?"

"Indeed." Riko smiled, lightly.

"Espera." Mei raised her hand. "Makora was solving this since then? Por qué did she keep it una secreta?"

"I'm not sure why she would keep it a secret…" Kyohi looked to the side. "It would've been helpful for all of us. Not to mention...it's not really in her nature to keep secrets like this."

"I propose Sayino was keeping notes." Zraiko crossed his arms. " **Notes about this Zepto project.** Some of the things written down match up with this."

"That would make sense…" Mest glanced to the side. "Sayino was one of the students involved in this project."

" _ **I think that's it!"**_

I looked to Zraiko holding the truth bullet of Sayino's papers. "It definitely looks like Sayino's notes were most reflective on the Zepto experimentations. Strange dreams about the project, knowing that something is going on in the background of the killing game…" I then crossed my arms. "But...I don't think this is the only thing Sayino was writing about."

"Creo que that's right." Fraize looked to Riko. "Riko's idea is also valid."

Riko's idea is also right? Hmm...I'll have to take some time to think this through. If both meanings of these notes are correct, what was Sayino calculating in the background? First, let's see the connections.

 **What was the meaning behind the first of Sayino's notes?**

The first note was talking about something not being a coincidence. About how she knew there was no way something happened out of chance. How it could only mean one thing. Though...it felt a bit like a pronoun game. It couldn't be helped as they were Sayino's notes, and perhaps meant to be Sayino's alone.

 **What was the meaning behind the second of Sayino's notes?**

Sayino's second note was about her dreams about the Zepto project, well...if they can even be called dreams at all. It was more of her recollection of the many times she had been taken away during the night. She took notice to Erito Hajimoto, which honestly makes perfect sense because he is the mastermind. I would be surprised if he wasn't on everyone's mind.

 **How are these linked?**

Based on the contents of the notes...I actually believe they're out of order. It just feels like the first note is a reaction to the second. Something about the second note must have lined up with something that Sayino found. That thing being something too close to being a coincidence.

 **How does this connect to Riko's theory?**

Riko believes that Sayino was trying to solve the riddle, that being what her notes were about. Because of this, and knowing the actual contents of the notes...it only means one thing.

Sayino believed that the solution to the puzzle involved the Zepto project.

"Guys...I think I've made the connection." I nodded. "The notes...Sayino must've believed that the solution to the riddle, and thus the final puzzle, involved the Zepto project."

There were a couple of murmurs throughout the room.

"I believe you are correct, Kozaki." Riko smiled, nodding lightly. "This is the same conclusion I have reached."

"So then...let's continue to try and fill in the blanks here." Zraiko glanced over to Weise. "Well, then?"

He must be talking about...Weise's testimony. Even though I was with him after we woke up...Weise is the only one who can provide information on what happened before what appears to be right up to Sayino's death.

"Weise…" Mest turned to the fashion designer. "I understand you may be under emotional stress...though we need you to open up. Otherwise we may never reach the truth."

Weise looked to the side, sighing lightly. "D'accord...I'll tell you what happened, mais...s'il vous plaît...listen to my whole story…"

* * *

It looks like Weise is ready to break his silence.

"Then, can you tell us?" Kyohi asked to the fashion designer. "What happened?"

Weise looked away, sighing lightly. "Sayino told me what she was going to do. J-Je ne l'ai pas arrêtée. That's why...I killed her. Not physically, mais je la laisse mourir." He teared up. "I didn't know what to do. I was the last one she came for, so her whole plan was already in action. Également, Sayino's so much taller and stronger than me. I-If I tried to get help, she would've caught me right away. Donc je…"

I leaned in slightly, trying to process everything. "Sayino told you what she was doing?"

Weise gulped. "She didn't tell me she was going to kill herself. Only that she was trying to résoudre le puzzle. I-I wanted to believe the mastermind killed her parce que she got the puzzle wrong. B-But...since now we all agree her death was un suicide…"

"Why did you originally believed you killed her?" Zraiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

I stood, firmly. "His psyche."

"Hm?" The hacker turned to me.

"Don't forget what happened in the previous trial." I frowned, lightly. "Ever since then, Weise hasn't been able to go back to how he was living daily. He was traumatized. Seeing another friend be killed...it must've triggered him to assume he must've killed them as well. It...It might even persist if this game continues."

A short silence.

Weise looked down, tearing up. "I'm...I'm sorry. Je suis vraiment désolé…"

"Continue, Weise." Mest patted him on the back. "What happened before you were knocked out?"

Weise sniffled and wiped his face with his sleeve. "Sayino led me to the core of the Final Puzzle Room. J'étais effrayé when I saw the others were all tied up…" He took in a quick breath. "Sayino told me to sit down in one of the open chairs, so I did. She tied me up and told me ça va aller…"

"...And then?" Kyohi leaned in.

Weise looked down. "And then...je me suis évanoui…"

And once Weise passed out...Sayino would go on to take her own life.

I took some time to think over the trial. There's still something missing, right?

Oh! The Bottolets. How could Sayino have faked those messages? We agreed it was because of hacking, but...I never figured Sayino would know how to hack.

"Hey, you were thinking about los Bottolets, sí?" Fraize looked to me, tapping his fingers onto his podium. "About how los mensajes were faked."

"Yeah." I nodded, looking to Zraiko. "You...didn't have anything to do with that, right?"

The hacker shook his head. "No. Sayino never approached me to ask me to hack anything."

Then what does this mean?

 **Zraiko is lying?**

No. I don't think Zraiko is lying at all. He's spent so long in his Shift Room with Mest, if he was lying the tattoo artist would've called him out.

 **Sayino already knew how to hack?**

I'm not completely confident in this. Sure, Sayino couldn't have relied on Zraiko to hack for her, but I remember her saying she was in a Calculus class before she dropped out. This was way back, when we first visited Zraiko's room. But...Calculus is math, not programming. Sure it can help with comprehension of code, but…

 **Sayino learned how while she was here?**

This...This might make the most sense. If she didn't already know, and she didn't ask Zraiko to do it for her, she had to have learned on her own time at some point. Now...where did she learn from?

"Zraiko." I looked over to the hacker. "Besides Mest, did you have any other regular visitors?"

Zraiko adjusted his glasses in thought. "Well...sometimes Kyohi would pop in to try and get me to do something that moved my body…"

"It's not healthy to sit down in a dark room all day!" Kyohi called out.

"My fingers were moving and my brain was exercising." Zraiko dismissed the hockey player. "A-Anyway. Sometimes I'd have Weise knock on my door, as he'd want to use his Shift Room and no others were available."

"It's not my fault you hog the room tout le temps!" Weise pouted.

Zraiko sighed. "Anne used to come in to let us know food was ready, but...clearly that hasn't been going on as of late."

I tooled away in discomfort. Anne…

 **"And sometimes Sayino would come inside."** Zraiko shrugged. "Mostly to watch what we were doing. She would come with Kyohi most times."

 _ **"Hold on a minute!"**_ I called out to Zraiko. "That's it! That's how she could've done it!"

"What do you mean, Kozaki?" Kyohi tilted his head to the side.

"Sayino must've learned how by watching Zraiko." I nodded. "One of the ways people learn is by example. If she came to watch you work often, she would've learned a thing or two, right?"

"One moment, please." Riko raised her hand. "Would it not be difficult to pull off what Sayino did? Is it really possible for her to have gained these skills by watching Zraiko?"

"Yes." Zraiko replied, simply.

"O-Oh?" Riko asked, startled.

"That code is very simple." Zraiko shrugged. "All you have to do is change the name on your Bottolet. It's barely even hacking, if you ask me. Surface level."

"A-Ah...I see." Riko looked down in mild embarrassment. "I apologise."

"No worries." Kyohi smiled. "Programming sure looks pretty darn complicated, huh?"

Zraiko sighed, shaking his head. "Sure, sure…"

A short, awkward silence.

"May I ask…" Mest looked to me. "Is it a silent consensus that Sayino asked Monobotto for those sleeping drugs?"

Oh, right! We still haven't gone over those yet. Hmm...I think this is actually a solid theory.

"It would make sense if Sayino requested _something_ from Monobotto. Just as Anne asked for a drugged rag...Sayino could've asked for a kit of sleeping drugs." I turned to the bucket of bolts. "Well, then? Am I right?"

Monobotto looked as though it was...sleeping.

"Wh…" I frowned. "Hey, asshat! Wake up!"

A light buzzing was my only response.

"What the heck?" Kyohi blinked a few times. "Has...Monobotto just been sleeping this whole time?"

"Nous devrions sneak out before it wakes up!" Weise smiled. "We can go eat crepes!"

Just then, with perfect timing, Monobotto bounced up in its seat. "Class-trial-! Yes-! Let's-have-our-voting-!"

"Hold your horses, Monobutto." Kyohi pointed to the robot. "We're not ready to vote now!"

"...Oh." Monobotto leaned back in its seat. "Goodnight."

"Hey, heh, hey!" I frowned. "Hold it! What did you give to Sayino?"

"What-?" Monobotto lifted itself up, lackadaisically.

"You heard me." I grew impatient. "Answer the damn question and _then_ go back to your nap."

Monobotto let out a mechanical sigh. "Yes-master. Indeed. I-provided-Sayino-Makora-with-the-kit."

"Y-Yes master?!" I fumed. "Are you mocking me?!"

The only response was a humming, Monobotto had gone back to sleep.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I tried to regain composure. "Okay, okay...we have that answer now...I think now we have all of our questions answered."

Kyohi raised his hand. "Wait, Kozaki. I still have one more question."

"Hmm?" I looked to the hockey player.

"Why did Sayino...do all of this?" Kyohi looked down, feeling disheartened. "The meaning behind everything...why? Why would she…?"

The true meaning of the puzzle...it can't be.

It clicked for me. Everything suddenly made sense. Why the knives were placed how they were. It was because…

"The truth of the riddle is...that all five of us would have to give up our lives in order for Riko, Kyohi, Mest, and Zraiko to escape." I looked down. "That's why Sayino set up what she did."

"No...no, that can't be it!" Kyohi shook his head. "Because...Because Sayino wouldn't ever make that kind of a choice! C-Choosing to have you all give up your lives without you even knowing?! There's no way!"

It looks like I have to get through to Kyohi. Think, Kozaki. Why would Sayino do something like this? She was incredibly smart, smarter than she let on. She wouldn't have made this choice unless she knew there was a better alternative. What could've pushed her in this direction?

No time but the present to figure this out!

" _ **We have to face the truth!"**_

"Sayino wouldn't have done something to hurt you guys!" Kyohi protested. "She wouldn't throw you guys under the bus!"

"Sayino would not have done something like this unless she thought there wasn't a better choice." I shook my head. "That means, all things considered, she thought that the ends justifies the means."

"And she would control which people get to live or die!?" Kyohi grew upset. "Five people dying for four survivors?!"

"For her, it was either that or the game would continue until two were left!" I insisted. "Two more survivors is better, isn't it?"

Kyohi pointed to me. "But why decide on this instead of having the four non-Zepto students die instead? Then there would be five survivors, right?!"

"There was a reason for why she made her choice, and that reason is in the riddle!" I called out.

Kyohi yelled at me with his everything. "Then show it to me! Show me why Sayino would chose for you five to die!"

Why would Sayino have chosen for the five of us Zepto students to have been killed rather than the other four? The answer…

It lies within the riddle itself!

" _ **I won't look away!"**_

I sighed. "Kyohi...the truth is...the five of us Zepto students dying was the best option according to the riddle.

"Wh...What?" The hockey player asked, his voice trembling.

"Let me go over the riddle...then it will make sense." I nodded. "Five tokens of the New World walk among sealed walls. The first, defiance. The second, justice. The third, spirited. The fourth, visionary. The fifth, adventurous. Would you surrender their lives for your own breaching, or give up yourself for their task beseeching?"

The trial room was silent for a short moment.

"A new world…" Riko held her hands together. "Those five tokens are the Zepto students, correct?"

"Y la segunda parte…" Fraize crossed his arms. "It's telling us to either have the Zepto students be sacrificed for the other four to escape...or have those five completar una tarea desconocida."

"Exactamente." I pointed to Fraize. "E-Er...exactly that. Sayino must've figured this out. The fact that we don't even know what this task is...it would make sense she wouldn't want to risk it. After all...what if it involves helping the mastermind?" I then shook my head, looking away. "As we found out earlier, she didn't know about Zraiko's announcement. About how he had managed to contact people to help us. She might've thought that this was the time to take action...and so...that's exactly what she did. Rather than waiting longer and risking any more deaths, she had the resolution to act now. That brings us to where we are now."

"Then...does that mean…" Riko seemed to be quite terrified. "That you, Fraize, Weise, and Mei...all have to die now?"

That question left a cold, sinking feeling in my heart. In truth...I don't know. I have no fucking clue at all...I don't want to die, not at all. Not even if it means the other four will survive. Because...Because there's no need for any more sacrifices!

"No." I frowned. "We're all getting out of here. I'm not going to die, I'll make sure none of you die either. This...This has to be the last class trial!"

After everyone exchanged glances, Kyohi sighed and looked to me. "Kozaki?"

"Y-Yeah?" I gulped, somewhat nervously.

"Can you...wrap this up, just like how you usually do?" Kyohi looked down. "Please...I just want to get out of this trial room…"

That heavy feeling still in my heart, I took in a few slow and deep breaths. "...Alright."

 _ **"This is how it all fits together!"**_

 **-ACT 1-**

"Though it may be difficult to say when exactly Sayino began to write these notes, one thing is certain. Monobotto's riddle, given to us back before Ingreis's murder, was what Sayino has been working to decipher up until her death. We might not have all the details on her progress, but one thing is certain. Sayino was looking for the one special way we could escape without continuing the killing game. After long enough, she came to a shocking realization…that this riddle was talking about the students in the Zepto program."

 **-ACT 2-**

"On the day that we received our motive letters, Sayino must've opened the one she received that was about Weise. With all of us being caught off guard with the revelation of my talent, it was the perfect opportunity to see the motive without getting attention, as everyone was already drawn to something else. Well, in that motive letter she found... a flashdrive. None of our other motive letters had one. It was specifically sent to Sayino, a calculated move by Monobotto. Why? Because Sayino had already been looking into the riddle from before. Monobotto took the opportunity to exploit this, slipping in the flash drive. Why? Sayino was vocal. Extremely vocal. Whenever she was in a room, we'd know. She wanted to keep our spirits up. Surely this was an annoyance to Monobotto. And so...the solution was to target her."

 **-ACT 3-**

"With Sayino reading the contents of the flash drive, the contents being the Zepto files, she drew the connection that we were involved with the solution to the puzzle. So, she tried to find the meaning behind the riddle, coming to a startling conclusion: Either the five Zepto students could be sacrificed, or they would have to complete an unknown task. That would mean Zraiko, Mest, Riko, and Kyohi would either die or survive based on this choice. A cruel exchange of lives for sure. One that seemingly too great of a choice to make. However...a choice was made by Sayino nonetheless. With her mind made up, she began her plan."

 **-ACT 4-**

"Sayino's choice was to give up the lives of the Zepto students. This being because our fates were uncertain if we were to complete our task due to the cryptic nature of the riddle. The choice for Zraiko, Mest, Riko, Kyohi to sacrifice themselves for the task of the Zepto students must've alarmed her in some way. After all...it never indicated we would escape. We might be used in some way, a way that I fear involves the cult that kidnapped us and started this game in the first place. So, asking Monobotto for a kit of injection needles, Sayino took action."

 **-ACT 5-**

"First, she approached Mei in the kitchen after excusing herself from the party. Knocking out the vigilante from behind, Sayino took her to the Final Puzzle Room, tying her unconscious body to a chair. From there, she took out her Bottolet and changed the name on her tablet to send an invitation on my behalf to Fraize, luring him to the Final Puzzle Room as well. It must've been a shock to see not only was I not there, but Mei was knocked out cold and tied up. And just before he could turn around to call for help...he was taken out from behind. From there, Sayino used the special code once again to lure me over as well. I was wondering why Fraize wanted to see the puzzle at all, and well...I guess I shouldn't have gotten too hopeful that the killing game was over. I let my guard down, going inside wondering what was going on. I would meet the same fate, being knocked out and tied up. Everything was going to plan…"

 **-ACT 6-**

"Sayino must've been surprised when she first saw Weise was part of the Zepto project as well. After all, we all thought for the longest time that it was just her, myself, Mei, and Fraize. A question floated into her mind. Should she really bring in Weise, especially given what went down in the most recent trial? But it was too late to turn back now. Knowing full well that Weise was in a damaged emotional state, Sayino approached him face to face. Personally leading him into the Final Puzzle Room, Sayino vaguely explained she was trying to solve the riddle and needed his help. Weise was scared, but obliged. Perhaps because he wanted to atone for what happened to Neizami. To move on from his naivete. He was willing to go along unquestionably in order to help everyone escape. He sat at the chair and allowed for Sayino to tie him up. She then gave him the drug, ready to move on to the final phase of her plan."

 **-ACT 7-**

"Using knives collected from the kitchen at least a night or two in advance, Sayino slipped them through our clothes to make it appear as though we were stabbed in the heart. This was a sign, a sign to show that we had to give up our lives to complete the puzzle. Taking all of our Bottolets from or personals, Sayino dumped them into the sink to look as though they were purposefully placed by a malicious killer to clean off blood from their crime. She wanted it to look as though that 'killer' placed them to try and loosely get rid of evidence. After all, from what she was about to do, there certainly would be a lot of blood. Tying herself up, Sayino smiled as she plunged the knife into herself. She was content, she was certain that what she was doing would save lives. She didn't have the ability to kill all of us because of the rule of there being only a maximum of two victims, so she left a hint behind to show we would have to meet the same fate as her."

 **"This...is the truth behind Sayino Makora's, the Super-Highschool-Level Motorcyclist's, plan."**

A silence. We all looked to Monobotto, finally having a truth we were confident in. It...was sleeping once again, or whatever sleeping even was for a robot.

"Monobotto, please!" Riko called. "We are ready now!"

Monobotto perked up. "Voting-time-? Voting-time-? Is-it-voting-time-?"

Riko sighed with a patient smile. "Yes."

"Then-please-cast-your-votes." Monobotto looked to the side. "My-battery-is-running-low. Do-it-yourselves."

So that's it…

Looking at the screen of my podium, I placed my vote. It was unanimous. We all agreed - with varying degrees of willingness - that Sayino was her very own killer.

With the bang of the gavel, the verdict was made...and the trial was over. All done in an uneasy, desolate silence.

 **CLASS TRIAL, END.**

* * *

It was the first trial without an execution. I couldn't describe the bittersweetness I was feeling. Sayino...I wish I had known. I wish she didn't take on the riddle herself. I...I should've been the one to solve it, and instead...I ignored it. Because of that, because of me…

We took the elevator up, none of us saying a word. Nobody even knew what to say at all. Disbelief...despair...what was this feeling?

No. It was desolation. A new, cold and guilty feeling that sapped the life out of my heart. If I had done just one thing...would I have saved her from her demise?

I sat down in the garden, looking over all the graves. It didn't feel as eerie and cold as before. Probably because Sayino was now there with them to keep them lively. Well...not quite living, but...an excitement in peace. I finally was able to thank Sayino for her sacrifice. She pursued the truth in secret, deceiving all of us. Never would I have thought she had been thinking about this for the longest time. Sayino wasn't just the life of the party, but the lifelight for all of us.

In her memory, we will escape and create new, lively memories for all of us. We will do crazy, fun things. We will be wild and adventurous, just like she was.

Happy Birthday, Sayino. Thank you for everything. Please rest in peace.

From the garden, we gathered in the Compass to sit by the fountain. It was Zraiko's request, so I wasn't bothered at all.

"Everyone, do you still have those motive letters?" He looked to each of us. "There's something I want us to do with them as a group."

"Huh?" Mei raised an eyebrow. "Qué?"

Zraiko took a seat on one of the benches. "I want us to read them."

"Quoi?" Weise bit his lip. "But they're motives…"

"As long as we're in a group, we can talk things out." Zraiko nodded. "I want us to have clear air."

We all exchanged glances before taking out our motive letters.

"So then…I'll go first." Zraiko opened his envelope. "Mei Jiana has about seventy deaths by her hands as a vigilante. She hasn't killed anyone in about six months. Her heart condition has been acting up as of recent, but killing her is no easy feat. She can and will retaliate, as she is much stronger than what her short stature leads you to believe." He then lowered his envelope. "Thoughts?"

Mei tugged on her jacket. "It's all verdad."

An unease lingered in the air.

"Well, we already know what was in my carta." Mei showed her own opened envelope.

Yeah...my talent was in her motive letter. I sighed, looking away in discomfort for a moment before looking at Mest. "What was in yours, Mest? The one about Kyohi?"

The tattoo artist shrugged. "It was harmless. Kyohi wants to get a tattoo of his sister's name. However, because of his religious faith, he can't. Every time he sees a reminder of tattoos, it upsets him slightly."

I looked over to Kyohi. "I...didn't know you had a sister."

He smiled lamentively, shaking his head. "It's not something I like to talk about...kinda sad, huh? Every partner I've had has died." He looked up. "Shin'nen, Neizami, now Sayino...maybe I'm cursed."

"Don't say that." I knocked on his helmet, lightly. "Their deaths weren't your fault."

He sighed, looking to me. "I wish...I could've saved them."

I looked Kyohi in the eyes, pointing to his heart. "You still can, Kyohi. You can save them by escaping. So just...keep living, alright?"

He laughed, only lightly. "Thanks, Kozaki." He then took out his own motive letter and opened it. "Sayino Makora used to be a law school student before dropping out to become a motorcyclist. It would eventually cause her to break up with her girlfriend due to different directions they were heading in life. Although they maintained their friendship, Sayino's relationship with her parents started to errode. She'd go out past midnight to ride on her motorcycle, live the wild and dangerous life…" He stopped reading, feeling bittersweetness. "I already knew all of that. She told me all about herself all the time…"

Well, since we knew what was in Sayino's letter, we looked to Weise next. He pouted, opening his letter. "Zraiko Nikiroi doesn't have a pet cat at all. Il est vraiment allergique à eux. Despite his cold exterior, he is actually a crazy anime magical girl fanatic. He even bought a katana magique from an anime as merchandise and keeps it hanging up in his room. Il le nettoie souvent, which makes his parents laugh every time." He looked down. "Vous lied about your chat…"

The hacker seemed to be embarrassed...for other reasons.

"Alright, I suppose it is my turn." Riko opened her letter.

I was worried, to be honest. What if the letter revealed Fraize's family history? I wasn't sure if he wanted everyone to know about it. He seemed to look nervous as well.

"Fraize Kimizai loves Kozaki Daisuke." She read. "He wants to take him to Barcelona, in the case that they escape, to show him around the entire city. Especially the aquarium. As a child, Fraize used to sit down on the conveyor belt of the water tunnel and look up. Some people tripped over him once, too. He wants to buy Kozaki a huge shark plushie that they will call their son and name it Chompy." She then giggled. "Oh, how sweet."

That was...not what I was expecting at all. I found myself chuckling, looking to Fraize. "Chompy, huh?"

The tour guide was red in the face. "S-Sí…"

I playfully nudged his shoulder. "Our son, huh?"

"A-Ah…" He fumbled for words.

I gave him a shoulder hug, showing him a smile. "Hey, don't be embarrassed, okay? I think that sounds like fun."

He smiled in return. "Gracias."

"Fils…?" Weise gasped. "You're getting married?!"

"A-Ah!" Fraize waved his hands. "It's not like that, no!"

I ended up laughing in response.

After some time to calm down, Fraize opened his letter to read it. "Riko Hamoizumi quiere…" His voice trailed off.

Riko hurried over to snatch the letter from his hands. "A-Ah! This is not a good time to read this!" She looked away. "N-Not after this…"

"A-Are you sure…?" He asked, worriedly. "This doesn't seem justo…"

"It's okay…" She blushed, ripping the letter into pieces. "It's...certainly going to be embarrassing for you all to find out. If it is alright, I'd...prefer to keep this one between Fraize and myself."

It seemed like Fraize and Riko were going to leave us in the dark…

That just leaves me with my letter. I slowly took it out, looking to Mest. He didn't say anything in response, so I opened it. Before I could read it, he advanced towards me and took the letter out of my hands, ripping it up in half.

"M-Mest?" I asked, worriedly.

He felt his left wrist, looking away. "...Remember, back in my Shift Room?"

I nodded in response.

He sighed, backing away. "I'm sorry...I won't let a piece of paper be the way you find out. If Monobotto is just handing it to you, that means...my silence can end."

Confused, I tilted my head. "What do you mean…?"

He looked away, seemingly uncomfortable. "I'm going to tell you- no...show you."

I watched as Mest reached behind his neck. I could hear an unzipping sound, catching me off guard. He's…

He slowly pulled off his mask, revealing a scar that stretched from his lower face, retreating under his clothes to his torso. That scar...was a burn scar.

He took in a deep breath, moving his bangs away from his eyes. Making eye contact with me, he smiled and waved. "Nice to see you again, Zaki."

My heart stopped.

"See you...encore?" Weise blinked. "You've been seeing Kozaki every day, Mest."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry for...deceiving you. Mest was...a fake name given to me by Monobotto."

"A fake name…?" Kyohi asked. "G-Given by Monobotto?"

"I assure you...I am not the mastermind." He took in a deep breath, still looking at me. "My name...is Mikanne Aiyaga."

Silence.

...No. No.

No it's not.

This is...this is all wrong!

Liar, liar…!

"I'm sorry. I wasn't allowed to tell you." He insisted. "But it's really me."

No it's not, no it's fucking not!

Liar, liar, liar!

"Zaki, please say something." He got closer to me.

I stood up, pushing him back. "Shut...Shut up! Shut the fuck up! Bastard! Mikanne is dead!"

He remained calm. "Just listen to me, please. I can explain everything-"

"No! No! I...You're lying!" I snatched the two halves to read the letter for myself.

 _'Mest is your childhood friend, Mikanne Aiyaga.'_

That was it. One sentence, one fucking sentence!

It's not true, it's not true!

Lies, lies, fucking lies!

"Zaki-" He tried to approach me again.

I shoved him out of the way and ran. I ran and I ran and I ran. I ran like that bastard was going to kill me. I ran like I would die.

I threw my dorm room door open, slamming it shut behind me and locking it. I fell on the floor, feeling insane. Feeling hurt. Feeling pain.

I felt…

Lost.

* * *

I stayed laying on the floor for who knows how long, just staring at the ceiling. Looking for nothing. I had no motivation to get up. I just...wanted to phase through the floor and fall into a realm of non-existence.

I was feeling...an emptiness. A disbelief. A denial. I couldn't grasp it at all.

Why...Why didn't you say something? All this time...you lied to me.

I thought...we were best friends…

Why didn't you tell me right from the start? Why were you silent for so long?

What if you- what if I- if we...died?

Then I'd never have known at all.

I still don't want to know. I want to wake up tomorrow and go back to believing you're not him.

You can't be him. You're nothing like him. You don't have his energy, his smile, his laugh.

Mikanne was playful, adventurous, a risk taker, a protector, a fighter...Mikanne cared so much about me.

Where the hell were you, then?! Where were you when I almost died time and time again?! Did you ever comfort me? Did you ever even try to connect?

No...you were distant. You were silent. Watching me from a distance.

You cut me out.

Left me.

Pretended that all our memories together never happened at all. Pretended that we had only met for the first time.

Lied to me...lied to me…

…

 _ **Knock, knock, knock.**_

I slowly stood up, facing the door.

"Zaki...are you sleeping yet?"

That voice...it sounded like...

I walked over to the door, opening it slowly and quietly.

And there he was, dressed in avocado pajamas.

"Fraize?" I looked to the tour guide, tilting my head lightly. "Shouldn't you be...sleeping?"

He turned to me, smiling lightly. "I was...waiting for you, Zaki."

I blinked, feeling rather oblivious. "W-Waiting for me?"

"Sí." His smile grew. "So...estás listo para dormir conmigo?"

"Huh?" I looked to the side. "But...I'm okay. Sayino's death was...bittersweet. I can sleep just fine."

He crossed his arms. "Zaki...estoy hablando about Mest...or...is it Mikanne?"

I looked away, closing my eyes. "I'll... get over it."

The tour guide gently patted my back. "Podemos still have sleepovers, can't we? Si tu quieres...we can go to my dorm."

Sighing, I forced a smile. "Okay. I'll get changed and meet you there."

So, after changing into my ducky pajamas and grabbing my things, I knocked on Fraize's door. He greeted me with a smile, though I could tell from the look on his face that he was trying to hide his anxieties from me.

Anxieties...about me? About all of us? What does it mean now - Mikanne being here all this time? I don't want to think about it.

But even still, I did. Even after I laid in my blankets. Even after Fraize turned off the light, even after he wished me goodnight.

Why didn't he ever say anything? It's been so long, so long since we saw each other. So long since we last talked. And yet...he acted like it was the first time we met. He acted like he didn't know me at all. It was as if…

No. No it's not.

Just sleep.

I can't.

Why not?

I'm lost.

Find yourself.

How?

...I need to talk to him. I need to hear everything. I need to know why he lied to me all this time.

Is it fair for me to be upset?

I lied about my talent to everyone. I lied about being just some guy.

I'm not just some guy. I might not know who I am, but...I'm someone for sure. There's something about me that sets me apart from others.

I think it's something else besides the fact that I have hair that lets me be spotted in a crowd of even a thousand people. That's a little embarrassing…

I wanted to sleep, but little thoughts kept slipping in to make me toss and turn in my bedding. I'm not going to sleep at all, am I?

I'll just...go for a walk. It'll be fine.

No, I can't leave. What if Monobotto comes to take us?

Even now, after Sayino is gone, the project will continue?

I don't want to think about that, either. I wish I could stop thinking for once. Maybe then I would actually be able to get some sleep.

"Zaki?"

I jumped lightly, looking over to Fraize. "A-Ah, s-sorry...am I keeping you awake?"

He slowly climbed out of bed, rubbing his eyes. "It's alright, no problemo…" He then walked over to me, kneeling beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Quieres hablar conmigo?"

I sighed, sitting up and clutching my blanket. "I just can't sleep at all...I can't really explain it. I have all these thoughts racing through my mind and...I can't even keep up with them all."

Fraize then took a seat, sitting with his legs folded. "Rest your head here, Zaki." He tapped his thighs.

Being confused for a moment, I slowly did as he requested. "Umm...what are you doing?"

He pushed my bangs away from my eyes, stroking my head gently. "Mi madre does this with me whenever I can't rest. Pienso que...it could help you."

"O-Oh, I see." I replied, averting my eyes.

Fraize began to softly hum a tune for me, though I couldn't recognize the song. As he did, he continued to stroke my head. It was...comforting. I closed my eyes, finding myself to be feeling relaxed.

His voice grew softer and softer, slowly fading away. Kissing my forehead gently, I could hear him whisper goodnight before I finally fell asleep.

* * *

Today is going to be a good day, a wonderful day. Ah, yes. I feel a spring in my step, a push and a pep.

I'm on a high, I've found myself a euphoria. Today is a new day. A new day for certain. I can't explain the rush I'm feeling, how every step I take is pushing me forward with more strength than the last. I'm going faster and faster, feeling incredibly unlike myself yet enjoying it all the more.

Takumi waved to me, saying he hadn't seen me all day.

I've been away, I replied, though I am here now.

You'll be joining us, Erito?

Only for a short while. I have plans for today.

I see. Please, let me get some toast for you.

Taking a seat in the kitchen, I looked around and crossed my arms, leaning back in my seat. I felt giddy, so inexplicably foolish. What was so funny, I had no idea.

Erito, you took your time.

Rindou! Good to see you today. Alive and well?

Alive, I suppose.

Good, good. Excellent.

You seem to be more hyper than usual.

Ah, I am? Should I feel complimented, Rin-Rin?

Don't call me Rin-Rin…

Lighten up, won't you?

We need to stay on our guard, you know. Being oblivious isn't going to make the motive go away.

Come on now. Today is a good day.

It is?

Well...I'd like to believe it is. Rin-Rin, why don't you smile for once?

She sighed, crossing her arms. I'll smile when the occasion suits it, she said.

Well, I hope to see it when it comes around. I nodded, then standing up. See you, Rin-Rin.

Again...my name is not Rin-Rin…

Leaving the kitchen, I caught up with Takumi.

Erito, you've finished already?

I have, I have. Ta-kun, have you seen Tsubomi?

Tsubomi? She's sitting by the waterfall. Why do you ask?

Just curious is all. I wanted to tell her something important.

Important?

Mhm.

Erito...you're going to confess, aren't you?

Easy to read, aren't I?

Certainly.

Haha, that's my Ta-kun for you! We'd be lost in those trials without your leadership!

Huh? Oh, no...I'd have been lost without your help, Erito. You and the others.

Hmm, hmm? Come on, Ta-kun. You're being too kind.

Nah...hey, go on Erito. She's waiting for you.

 _Aaah?_ Did you tell her?

No...well, I might've hinted something.

You ass!

Psh! Just go, Erito.

Okay, okay. I'll let you off this one time. See you.

On the way to see Tsubomi, I bumped into Katiaka. She was sitting down on the moss hill, legs crossed with a notebook in her hands. Writing again, are you?

Hehe, you know me Erito. I write all the time, it's my talent you know.

Aren't you lonely, sitting at moss hill?

No worries, I don't mind being alone. It keeps my head clear, there being no noise to distract me. It's hard for me to think when there are many people around.

Mmm...I see. Well, Kat, I'll see you later?

Sure! See you later, Erito.

I sighed, making my way to the waterfall. There sat Tsubomi, sitting on the edge of the water. Tsubomi, there you are.

Huh? She turned around, looking to me with a smile. Erito! Hello! Gosh, you seem to be more lively today. What's the occasion?

I...was hoping to see you in private.

Aww, you wanted to see little ol' me?

Don't be like that, Bonnie. You know there's no one else I'd rather spend my time with.

What? Do the others give you the grumpy-grumps?

Haha, no. It's just your charisma keeps pulling me to you. I...really enjoy your aura.

My aura? What do you mean?

…

Come on, Erito.

I…

She gave me a playful nudge. Hey, hey. What's on your mind?

Bonnie, no...Tsubomi. I have something I need to tell you.

 _Oooh?_ What is it? You're so formal all of a sudden.

Mmh...your company, Tsubomi. I greatly enjoy it. If you'd let me...I'd like to…

You'd like to…?

A-Ah, I don't know how to say it, haha.

Come on, you silly! Tell me, won't you tell me?

…

And then I told her. I told her how I felt. She said she knew it all along, calling me a goober. Hehe...Tsubomi really was something…

…

And then what did I do?

I killed her. Well...it was more complicated than that. It was more of...I saved her.

I saved her from the cruel fate of execution, the fate the other three would endure.

I knew now what my giddy feeling was. It was the feeling that I would not fail. That I'd be the one. I'd be the blackened who would win. I'd win the prize, I'd escape.

Was I the mastermind? No, but I became one.

…

It's cruel.

My nephew asked me if I regretted it, that one fateful day.

I lied. It is the worst thing I had ever done in my life, and I'll never forgive myself for it.

Not what happened to Takumi, to Rindou, to Katiaka.

What I did to Tsubomi...eats me alive to this day.

I looked at the picture sitting at my desk, picking it up and holding it gently. This is all I have from her. Was she even real...or merely a fabrication by the nature of the program? I might never know. But...the one thing I know was real...was how I felt. Felt...about her.

I put down the picture upon seeing the door open. Erito was there, standing calmly while adjusting his tie.

I asked him, did you have a laugh during the class trial?

Well...it certainly was a sight to see.

Having fun watching the recordings?

I must admit the irony. It certainly made me smile.

How desperate Number One was...it made me chuckle for sure.

...Erito.

Yes, Erito?

Why do you call him Number One? He _was_ your nephew, am I wrong? It's not as though you are one of the scientists testing him.

I...suppose you bring a fair point.

Do you disregard life...even those who are related to you? Even those who you have loved?

I glanced back to the picture, not giving a response.

...Haiji.

I looked back to Erito. Yes?

You're about to have one hell of a family reunion.

Ah, good. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Mmh...I'll meet you in the cleaning room. You'll see Number One there shortly.

Now why is it that you get to call him Number One, hmm?

...What do you mean?

Why not call him Kozaki?

It is strange, and quite uncomfortable. I'd rather act as though he were another entity.

Ah...I understand.

...Good day, Erito.

Good day to you as well, Erito.

* * *

~Chapter Four, End~


	27. The Collapse of Zepto Daily Life 1

Chapter Five ~ The Collapse of Zepto

* * *

…

"Can you hear me?"

…

"Wake up."

...Nhh…

"Come on, now. You used to be so energetic. You bounced all over the walls when you were little. Are you really the same person now?"

Who…?

I slowly opened my eyes to see a bright light in my face. It was...like one of those lights you would find at a dentist, though I feel like this one serves a more sinister purpose.

"It's been awhile since we've talked."

I slowly made the effort to push up my body, looking towards the voice speaking to me.

"How are you feeling?" The person asked.

The voice felt faintly familiar to me, but my mind felt incredibly foggy. I couldn't even recognize their face. It was as if…

"Probably a little tipsy, huh?" The person shrugged. "I don't blame you. The drugs are powerful, sort of like a slap in the face that still stings after a few minutes."

"Drugs…" I felt at my face. "Why…?"

"Hmm?" They smiled. "Oh, you mean why do you need them?"

"Need...them?" I blinked, trying to process what was going on.

"Yes, you need them." The person nodded.

After focusing on their face for a while, I still struggled to tell who they were. They felt...familiar. It was then when I realized this person wasn't wearing a mask at all. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?" They, no...he asked me.

"I'm a bit...fucking tipsy." I frowned.

"Ah." He nodded. "Understandable."

"Why am I here?" I tried to stand up, finding myself slipping.

He hurried over to have me sit back on the white bed I was on. "Easy there, you don't want to hurt yourself."

I did little to fight them. After all...there's nothing even to fight. There's just me and this person in the room.

"Is it really you?" He asked, examining me. "Your eyes...they're different."

Eyes?

A faint memory floated into my head. I've heard mention of my eyes before.

"Mm...only one way to check." The person stood up properly. "Kozaki...how do you feel about humanity?"

I didn't understand the question. "What?"

"Humanity. People. Our society." He nodded. "How does it make you feel?"

I failed to understand once again. "Humanity…?"

He nodded, simply. "Yes."

I closed my eyes to think. How do I feel about humanity? The question seems harmless enough. Then again, I don't know who I am talking to. I don't know why they're even asking me this.

"Humanity makes me feel...like I'm part of something bigger." I replied, nodding. "That...even though I am one small, supposedly meaningless being on my own...I'm part of a flow that ever changes. Part of something that...can make incredible things happen."

The person seemed to be pleased with this. "You really are Kozaki."

That comment was strange. "Alright...then how do _you_ feel about humanity?"

"How do _I_ feel?" He seemed surprised by my question. "Hmm...I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I pressed the person. I want to find out who he is. The more I know about these cultists, the better it will be for me and the others.

The person shook his head. "If I told you that, it would make the reason for me not telling you meaningless."

"Meaningless how?" I frowned.

The person ignored me, heading to a nearby cabinet. "You'll find out soon enough. For now...it's time to go."

"To go...where?" I felt a growing anxiety inside.

"Back to the killing game, of course." The person picked up a syringe of some kind.

"...Before you do...let me ask one more question." I insisted.

"Alright." The person waited. "What is it?"

"Where are we?" I looked around. "If this isn't the killing game, what is this place?"

I felt a pinch in my shoulder. The person responded, "We are in your new world."

And then...silence.

* * *

I woke up feeling sick to my stomach. There were several reasons why, one of them being the fact I have to come to terms with the death of another one of my friends. I felt a deep emptiness inside. We tried to stop this damned killing game, and look what happened. It caused another death.

It's pointless...I can't find the will to keep going on anymore. I can't even muster the strength to get out of bed…

…

Wait, out of bed?

I slowly opened my eyes to see...I wasn't on the floor anymore. No, I was lying in a bed. Why does it feel so warm? Why do I feel...a presence?

It was then when I realized that was because...I was laying down next to Fraize. The tour guide was still peacefully asleep, facing my body. He seemed so...different like this. Not in a bad way, just...in a new one. Then I started to wonder what I was even doing here at all. I fell asleep on the floor, surely. Did Fraize bring me here? And why?

The more I thought about it, the more flustered I became. Hey, is this really okay? I wanted Fraize to explain himself immediately, but...I can't just wake him up…

Nhhg! What am I even supposed to do here? If I even get out of bed, I'll wake him up.

...I can do this. I just have to sneak out nice and slow.

I made the effort to climb out of the bed as quietly as possible, though I still felt like I was doing worse than a bull in a china shop. My dismount was the worst part, as I slipped off the bed and slammed into the floor like a dunce. Surprisingly...Fraize didn't wake up at all.

Now the next problem is... I'm hungry. I didn't want to eat breakfast with the others. The idea of seeing Mest made me feel like throwing up. I just wanted to dash into the kitchen, grab some food, and get out.

The whole place was so eerily quiet. Despite it being apparently long past morning bell, there wasn't a trace of life anywhere. Maybe the others were just sleeping. I guess that works out better for me.

While I was digging through the fridge to grab some milk for cereal I was preparing, I noticed the sound of someone entering. It was Riko, walking in with Weise.

"Making crepes together?" I faintly smiled, pulling out the milk carton from the fridge.

Riko looked away from me, walking directly to the stove. It...caught me off guard. Was something wrong?

"Oui." Weise returned my faint smile, without many words.

"A-Ah. I see." I looked to the clarinetist with worry. "You two have fun, and...careful not to burn the kitchen down." I then poured some milk into a bowl of cereal loops with marshmallows I had previously prepared. "It would be ironic for anyone besides the arsonist to set something on fire, right?"

The joke went clear over Weise's head, him tilting his head and blinking. "Quoi? Wouldn't it be bad if n'importe qui set the kitchen on fire?"

Riko didn't even react. She normally would've giggled and continued the joke, finishing it off with Sir Arsonist. I...I don't know what's wrong…

"You're right, Weise…" I sighed, looking down. "Hopefully that doesn't happen…"

Without much else to say, I silently returned the milk to the fridge and picked up my cereal bowl, leaving the kitchen with two spoons and heading back to the dormitories. I figured I would go to my room to allow for Fraize to continue sleeping, but my curiosity was telling me to do otherwise. I wanted an explanation from him. After all, he didn't even tell me about this beforehand. So, I went inside and ate my cereal on his desk, glancing over to him every now and again. Whenever I saw a faint movement, I would squint my eyes and chew my breakfast much slower. Part of it was for, admittedly, dramatic effect. I wanted to express my feelings of...what's the word? Not displeasure. Just...unamusement, in an ironic sort of way.

Eventually came the time when Fraize woke up. He stretched, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Buenos dias, Fraize." I leaned on the chair, tipping it back just a bit while showing a small grin.

"Huh?" The tour guide looked over in my direction. "Oh, Zaki. Buenos dias."

My smile grew as I leaned back in the chair. "That's all you have to say?"

It seemed like he failed to understand. "Uh...is there something que necesito explicar?"

"Mhm." I crossed my arms. "Why were we...sleeping in the same bed?"

As I expected, the question made him slightly flustered. "A-Ah…? Well...Y-You see…"

I chuckled a little. "So you do know something, huh?"

He looked to the side. "...It was...because you were…"

"Hmm?" I tilted my head, lightly.

"Tossing and turning...even after I sang to you…" He sighed, feeling his neck. "I could not just...leave you like that…"

Hmm...back to speaking full English, I see.

"Are you...upset?" He asked, worriedly.

"No, no!" I waved my hands. "Just...surprised, I guess."

Fraize slowly climbed out of the bed, walking over to me with an expression of regret. "I-I'm sorry, Zaki...I won't ever do it again. I should've asked you…" He sighed, looking down. "Please...forgive me."

I chuckled, patting Fraize on the shoulder. "It's alright, Fraize. I'm not mad at you. I...appreciate how you wanted to help me sleep."

The tour guide smiled lightly. "Gracias."

Now feeling a sense of awkwardness creeping along my back, I looked to the side nervously. "Well...I made breakfast. It's not much, but…"

Fraize tilted his head in curiosity. "Really?"

I picked up the bowl of cereal, flashing a grin. "Tada!"

Fraize cracked a smile. "Is...this supposed to be a smiley face?"

"Hey, hey." I leaned in. "I take pride in my smiling cereals."

He chuckled in response. "Alright, alright."

I placed the bowl back onto the desk gently. "Well?" I offered Fraize the second spoon. "Won't you have breakfast with me?"

Fraize took the spoon, flashing a grin. "Por supuesto."

We sat together at the desk, sharing the single chair that was too small for the both of us to properly sit on. After finishing the cereal, Fraize looked to me. "Zaki...can I ask you something?"

"Mhm?" I looked over to him, waiting for his question.

"Why did you set this up?" He seemed to be baffled. "Este no es como tú."

"Not like me?" I looked to the side. "I just...wanted to do something for you."

"Pero, this is very forward." Fraize scratched the back of his head.

I stood up from the chair, taking the empty bowl and the spoons. "Yesterday had me thinking."

"Acerca de…?" He watched as I cleaned up the desk.

"About us." I smiled, lightly. "We're...going to escape soon, you know? So I wanted to...you know…"

The tour guide blinked, not quite following me.

I sighed, looking away. "Nevermind. I just wanted to do something nice for you. You're always doing things for me, you know? I don't think I'd even be alive right now without you. I could list so many things you do to support me...but...I can't think of anything I've done to have you feel the same way."

Fraize stood up from his seat as well, brushing my bangs away from my face to look into my eyes. "You being here is enough for me, Zaki. You need the support...yo no necesito..."

I shook my head. "No, that's wrong. You shouldn't try to downplay your own traumas just to be a support for me."

He sighed, looking down. "I suppose so."

Before I could respond, I heard a buzzing sound on my Bottolet. I took out the tablet to see messages from the bucket of bolts itself. Damn it, the fucker found a way to force my tablet to accept notifications from now on, huh? I wonder how much fanfiction will flood me now…

"What is it?" Fraize looked to the screen of my Bottolet. "Un mensaje del robot?"

I rolled my eyes, putting the tablet away. "Yup."

"Is it asking for us to gather?" Fraize crossed his arms, seeming displeased.

"Mmmhm." I sarcastically expressed my excitement. "Hoooo boy, I just _can't_ wait to see what's happening now."

With that, we got ourselves ready and left the room.

* * *

Stepping out, it was apparent that we were all meeting on the Grand Staircase. I chose to sit towards the top of the steps, as I just wanted to avoid being anywhere near Mest. I didn't want to know him by Mikanne at all. Simply because...well...Mest just _isn't_ Mikanne. I don't give a damn if that's what the paper had written or if that's what he said, nor even if two names shared the same body. Mest and Mikanne are not one in the same. They never have been, they never will be.

The bucket of bolts was whirring around across the floor as usual, probably coming up with its next horrific motive...or its lackluster fanfiction.

"Thank-you-all-for-gathering-for-this-special-announcement-!" Monobotto turned to face us. "The-views-have-been-at-an-all-time-high! Even-more-so-than-we-expected-from-clowns-such-as-you-!"

Oh great. We've been promoted from fools to clowns, then?

Mei seemed to be less than excited. "Oh...fantastico...I am so pleased to hear las noticias…"

Monobotto hopped up and down. "Clowns. You-all-deserve-an-award-for-being-so-emotionally-emotional. For-being-so-annoyingly-annoying. For-keeping-the-audience-focused-on-this-killing-game-as-much-as-they-are."

I feel as though that was an indication that Monobotto wanted the audience to avert their eyes from something else...either that, or it enjoys rolling around filthy rich in blood-stained dough.

I took some time to scan over the reactions of us all, just wondering how the 'popularity' was making them feel. Weise was terrified, as expected of him. Kyohi had his eyes focused to the side, perhaps he was trying to daydream of pleasant memories. I didn't even want to look in Mest's direction, so I skipped over him to look at Zraiko. The hacker had his arms crossed in his usual manner, deep in thought. Perhaps he was calculating our next move as a group, as expected of our resident tactician. The vigilante was leaning against the rail of the staircase, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. Fraize was sitting right beside me, his face holding a look of discomforted concentration. Riko's...still not looking at me. It's as if she'd rather look anywhere but towards me. I wanted to talk to her, but...this just isn't the time…

"To-reward-you-fools…" Monobotto spun around. "I-have-brought-back-the-loved-one's-call-booth!"

Another phone call with our loved ones, huh? Well, it has been a long time since the first one. It...actually felt as though it had been an eternity since I spoke to Mr. Steveston.

"You have?" Kyohi asked. "Well...where is it? If it's not in the Mono-shift Room…"

Oh yeah. That place is 'under construction' right now or whatever.

"It-has-been-set-up-in-the-observatory!" Monobotto declared.

Great. I'm _really_ looking forward to this. Yeah. Ahuh. Nothing wrong with the observatory. _Nothing at all._

We all walked as a group to the entrance of the second floor of the library. From there, we all lined up on the staircase that lead to the observatory.

"Alright. You-all-know-the-drill." Monobotto used its noodle arms to hoist itself up to the top of the steps. "Five-minutes. Come-on-then. Bring-me-more-money. I-have-to-pay-for-the-broken-fridge-in-the-employee's-office."

None of us were particularly sympathetic towards Monobotto. After all, that bucket of bolts has a severe case of schadenfreude. Although Monobotto's troubles are nothing compared to our constant endurance of the killing game...it's nice to see the robot have some form of misfortune.

"And-there's-one-more-surprise." Monobotto turned to us. "After-your-call-you-will-receive-an-envelope. It-is-not-a-motive. It-is-a-surprise-mechanic."

"A...surprise mechanic?" Kyohi asked, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. By that, it means it is a motive of some kind, right? 'Surprise mechanic' my ass.

"Just don't pay Monobotto any mind." Zraiko waved it off. "That's all you need to do."

The robot looked somewhat insulted by Zraiko's comment.

Mest, no longer wearing his mask and keeping his hair tied up in a ponytail, looked over to the hacker. "Don't make it angry, Zraiko."

This was the first time I got a clear look at him since yesterday. I then looked away from Mest, bitterly. He's still not Mikanne. I'm not convinced.

"Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto tilted its head towards me. "Are-you-not-coming-? You're-first-in-line. Don't-tell-me-you-never-finished-your-highschool-education." It then coldly tilted its head even father. "Oh-wait. That's-actually-true. Oh-well."

I had to be held back by Mei, as the vigilante was standing behind me. "Dunce-suke, no lo pienses! Just let it go!"

I sighed, relaxing my body while keeping my fists clenched. "Fucker…"

The vigilante quite literally pushed me forward into the observatory, probably out of impatience. We didn't even have time to go over a plan...what am I supposed to do now?

You know, now that I think about it, the observatory looks completely different. That menacing chair is gone, all the computers have been hidden away. Instead there was a large, fuzzy carpet rolled out onto the floor with an antique chair resting in the center. A lampshade providing warm light was right beside it, a small table just in front with a phone waiting to be used. Not too far away was a video camera. I guess we'll be recorded here, just like last time.

"Go-on-and-have-a-seat." Monobotto instructed me, rolling behind the camera acting as though it were a director. "You-know-the-drill. Even-without-a-highschool-diploma."

I took in a few deep breaths before taking a seat in the chair and picking up the phone.

Well, my first thought was to call Mr. Steveston. I dialed his number and waited, patiently.

 _Vrr...vrr...vrr...Hello, this is Royce Steveston. I'm currently away, but you can call me back later. If you're seeking legal assistance, please call this number to reach another-_

I hung up the phone.

Well, if Mr. Steveston won't pick up...maybe I could call my parents this time. So...that's what I tried to do next.

 _Vrr...vrr...vrr...Hi there, this is Lauren. I'm away right now, but I'll call you back! Kozaki sweety, if you're locked out of the house again, just wait until I come home._

I sighed, hanging up. Mom's not there. I-I guess she's just out shopping. Well...I hope she is.

It's just a little strange how...it's been more than a year since I've been home, right? But for some reason, Mom hasn't changed her voicemail. I wonder why that is.

Nevermind, let's see if Dad is available.

 _Vrr...vrr...vrr...Tetsuya Daisuke, speaking. I'm currently away, though I should be back soon enough to call you back. Also, if this is about my son, chances are I'm already aware of the latest thing he has burned to the ground. Thank you._

Fuck. Not even Dad is there? And again, outdated voicemail...I'm starting to have a cold feeling crawl on my back, and I don't know what it means at all.

Monobotto impatiently stared at me. "Kozaki-Daisuke. Can-you-please-find-someone-to-call-? Even-if-it's-a-scam-tech-support-person."

I...don't have anyone else to call.

Or do I?

…

I don't even know if I remember his phone number. I...might as well. Maybe I could even get some answers.

 _Vrr...vrr...vrr…_

"...Ko...zaki?"

He picked up. I don't know if I should feel relief or...uhg. Nevermind. Five minutes is all I have, and I'd rather have them spent on family than a complete stranger.

"Hey." I smiled, awkwardly. "Long time no see."

He coughed in response. "R-Right."

"How...have you been?" I tried to start a conversation.

He sounded surprised. "Why are you calling _me_ of all people?"

"Cuz." I shrugged.

"What about my brother? My sister-in-law...your parents?" He sounded anxious now.

Looks like he's also watching the 'show' that's going on...

"They didn't pick up." I sighed. "Uncle...how many years has it been?"

"W-Well...probably too many to count." He stammered, lightly. "Are you still up to your... shenanigans?"

Unenthused, I rolled my eyes. "Uncle, I know you know where I am. It's being shown all over the world. Not to mention...you used to be a part of their team, right?"

"That's...right…" He replied, sounding like he was reluctant to admit it.

"You're...not involved with _this_ , are you?" I frowned.

"What?!" He asked. "No, not even in my wildest dreams!"

…

I didn't fully believe him.

"Please...isn't there anything you can do to help?" I tried begging. "You used to be an employee. Surely you could...pull a string or two, right?"

He sighed in response. "I'm sorry Kozaki. This entire operation is out of my reach. This whole shebang is being run by cultists. _Danganronpa_ is no more."

Despite possibly having hundreds of reasons to not accept his words...I was tired. I'm tired of my family being broken up into pieces. Even if Uncle Haiji was once involved with _Danganronpa_...even if it makes me the biggest fool to believe him…

I'm too exhausted to press him. Deep down, I just wanted my uncle back. I wanted my funny, spunky, lively uncle who would rustle my hair and call me the Zakinator.

"Uncle Haiji…" I looked away. "Do you miss us?"

A short silence. "Yes...I do."

"Can we please...be a whole family, again?" I found myself tearing up. "My brother...you know about my brother, right? My brother should see his whole family, right?"

"Your brother?" He took a short pause. "Oh...that's right. I've heard of his birth. Your mother named him, you know."

"Mom did?" I leaned in. "What's his name?"

A longer pause. "I don't know how accurate this is. I only heard about it from your grandparents, after all."

"Grandma and Grandpa?" My hands grew shaky as I held the phone. "I haven't seen them in...in years, too."

"Their English has improved quite a bit." Uncle Haiji tried to improve the mood. "They went to America without me, since my brother kicked me out of the country and all. Anyways...I believe the little one was named...Thomas."

Thomas. Thomas Daisuke. That is my little brother's name.

I wonder...what he even looks like? More like Mom, like Dad? Both, neither?

"They say he loves Shiro." My uncle continued. Poor boy is getting very old, now. Your parents say they won't be adopting another dog, unless you insist on it. Though...I can understand if you refuse as well. There was only one Shiro." He sighed, lamentively. "Remember...when you first met Shiro on that Christmas? I got him for you, you know. You two were very close…"

I looked away. "Yeah...we were…"

Shiro…We had been together throughout the years, him and I. Through every hardship I had, he would always leap into my arms and love me all the same. But now...I can't even be there for him when he needs me most…

"Five minutes is almost up." I sighed, looking away. "Uncle...is there anything you want to tell me?"

He took a few moments before saying something. "I'm sorry...about our broken family and all. When you come home, maybe we could try to start over."

Before I could even say anything...he hung up. I didn't even reach the full five minutes...but there was nothing more to be said.

"Thank you, Uncle…" I put the phone down, closing my eyes.

Sitting in silence, I took the time to try and process the conversation. My uncle, he says he isn't involved in this. That this isn't some official work of _Danganronpa_ or whatever. That the cult has nothing to do with them, that...these are just some _Danganronpa_ fanatic freaks who took it upon themselves to make a final killing game.

I...I can't say I fully believe it, despite how much I want to. Oh, I want to. I want to believe him more than anything. But, logically speaking, can I even risk trusting his word at all? Our whole family...it fell apart because of the truth about him coming out. It fell apart because we found out he worked for _Team_ _Danganronpa._ And now...I just have to accept his words as the truth?

Despite it all, despite how I know I shouldn't believe him, I'm too tired at this point. I want to believe him, even if that belief gets me kicked in the face or whatever. I'm burnt out, I can't take this song and dance anymore. Just get me the hell out of here, damn it!

Monobotto then rolled up to my feet, handing me an envelope. "Take-a-moment-to-see-how-your-fans-feel-about-you."

My...fans…?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, frowning lightly. "My fans? Who do you take me for?"

The robot spun around. "Don't-you-want-to-know-how-people-think-about-you-?"

I sighed, opening up the envelope only to silence the robot. "Fine, whatever."

Inside were various folded slips of paper. I took out one of them and opened it up, reading whatever message was inside.

' _I'm crying, please stop hurting my son Kozaki.'_

...Mom? Dad?

Wait...my parents don't talk like this at all. Is...Is some stranger claiming to be my parent?!

' _Kozaki just has to throw himself out of the ship. Bam! Sweet taste of freedom!'_

...Wow, thanks random stranger. I will _definitely_ consider throwing myself out the damn window into the depths of space.

' _Kozaki is probably dead inside by now, LMAO.'_

You think so? Wow, I never would've imagined a killing game would make me feel dead inside…

' _LOL, Kozaki is a strawberry!'_

What, is it the hair? It's probably the hair, isn't it? Uhg...I really need to get something done about my hair. It's pretty embarrassing to walk around with my hair. It's like I'm a flamingo, for fuck's sake! Anyone can see me! I should get a haircut, actually...maybe dye it another color, too.

' _My best guess is that Kozaki is going to survive with Riko, Kyohi, and Neizami.'_

Oh great, they're also guessing if I'm going to live or die? What the hell is wrong with these people? By the way, you might want to consider predicting everyone is going to survive, because we're getting out of here.

Seeing Neizami's name caused my heart to sting lightly. She deserved better, so much better. All I can do is hope with every bone in my body that we're going to get our act together. After all...we're going to be saved. Or, at least I'd like to believe.

 _'Kozaki, you are super cool and know how to push everyone forward, but you are always too depressed to do an incredible job. Stop being depressed.'_

Stop being depressed. Haha, if only it was that easy, I would've done that a long time ago. But...thanks for being constructive, I guess. No promises.

' _I ship Kozaki and Zraiko, haha! Two people with criminal records, they have a special understanding of each other!'_

...You're fucking joking, right? _**They're shipping us?**_

 _'Imagine if Kozaki and Mei got together, LMAO! They'd kill each other!'_

Mei and I? When pigs fly, maybe. She'd shoot me if I even asked a question like that.

' _I rate Kozaki x Fraize a solid ten out of ten! They're meant to be! Oh, I hope they both survive.'_

I hope we both survive, too. And, maybe the others too? Just a nice thought, huh?

' _Kozaki is the best boy, hands down people.'_

I sighed, shaking my head. I can't keep reading these. These are just...wrong...awful, foul, I don't even know how to describe it. I'm being treated like some fictional character!

"Where did you get these?" I turned to Monobotto, frowning lightly. "These...slips of fan mail or whatever."

"They-were-submitted-online." It replied, simply. "We-then-printed-them-out. You-still-have-twenty-two-envelopes-after-this-one."

Twenty two other envelopes?!

I sighed, rolling my eyes and continuing to read the contents of my first envelope.

' _Stop being depressed pl0x, I'll send u some pancakes. U being sad MAKES ME SAD!'_

I...thank you, random person. Me being sad makes me sad, too. Though, I'm not sure if the pancakes will survive the trip here. I'll just have to make pancakes on your behalf.

Gee, this really is a mixed bag of comments. Some of them rub me the wrong way, but a few others have genuinely nice things to say. Though...the amount of slips is overwhelming me.

' _Drunk Kozaki is my spirit animal, NGL.'_

That honestly doesn't sound very healthy.

' _Kozaki is going to suffer right until the end.'_

You're probably right, random person number whatever.

 _'Kozaki needs to get his shit together and save everyone like a true protagonist.'_

 _'There are people out there who miss your sweet ass.'_

' _Kozaki is gay for a tour guide, LMAO!'_

' _Mr. Ass Kozaki.'_

' _If Kozaki dies, I'm going to die.'_

' _Please don't give up, Kozaki!'_

 _'You fucking flamingo.'_

 _'Maybe you should stop being emo.'_

' _I'm rooting for you!'_

' _Fraize is a lucky man ;)'_

' _I want to ride him, haha!'_

I took the whole envelope and shredded it up with my own hands. These people, what the fuck is wrong with them?!

I only kept the slips that were genuinely kind, those feeling like people who were genuinely cheering me on and hoping to see me succeed. I needed them as reminders. Even the ones that criticized me. But...as for those other slips...

I took the rest of the paper slips and tossed them without a care in the world where they ended up in. I never wanted to see them again, I just wanted them to disappear. Is this why we haven't gotten help thus far? Because people are enjoying this? Because people are getting a high from our suffering?

I threw the door open, storming down the stairs.

"What-about-the-other-envelopes-?" Monobotto called out to me.

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. "Burn them!"

"Kozaki?" Fraize tried to talk to me.

I simply shook my head and continued to walk out, even slightly shoving some of them away just so I could clearly reach the bottom of the staircase. From there, I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Don't open those envelopes."

I didn't allow for anyone to question me, as I hurried off to my dorm room. I shut the door behind me, then sliding down against the door and letting out a yell of anger.

* * *

About a half hour or so passed before I heard a knock on my door. Fraize was there, looking a little bit embarrassed. "H-Hola, Zaki."

"Fraize?" I was surprised to see the tour guide like this. "Did...something happen?"

He sighed, feeling his forehead while walking into the room. "Las cartas…I read them…"

"O-Oh…" I closed the door behind him, looking away. "Yikes…"

He gulped, looking towards me. "T-Those people say that...quieres mi salsa de Alfredo…"

I felt myself grow bright red, shaking my hands in a flustered manner. "Don't pay them any attention! T-There are some real creeps out there, y-you know…?"

He sighed, nodding. "You're right, Zaki...lo siento, I should've listened…"

"Curiosity killed the cat." I shook it off. "In any case...let's think about something else right now. It's only a matter of time before we get rescued, so...we can do whatever we want now."

The tour guide looked away for a moment before turning back to me. "I...don't know if this is my place to say anything, pero...necesitas hablar con Mikanne ahora."

I felt myself grow cold inside, turning away and shaking my head. "No, I...I can't."

"Zaki-" Fraize tried to convince me.

"No." I cut him off. "I refuse to see him at all. Mikanne is just...someone that I used to know. He's not the same anymore, so I...I can't…"

Fraize reached out to me for a moment before pulling his hand back and looking away without a word.

"I'm sorry." I looked down. "I'm just...not ready to see him. Maybe I will, but...it can't be any time soon."

Fraize turned to me, patting my shoulder gently. "Yo comprendo. Take your time."

After sitting alone with Fraize for a while, an idea floated into my mind.

"Hey, Fraize?" I looked back up. "Can I ask you about...Riko's secret?"

"Ah?" He seemed worried. "Pero...no esta my place to tell you."

"But you do know what it is, right?" I gulped. "Riko's been...avoiding me today. I don't know why, but every time I see her, she looked away. I-I don't understand…"

"Now isn't this ironic?" He awkwardly chuckled. "You're avoiding Mikanne, Riko is ignoring you...esta comico, sí?"

"Fraize." I frowned, lightly. "It's not like Riko was my childhood friend who abandoned me this whole killing game."

Fraize looked away, sighing. "Sí, lo sé. Lo siento...Riko needs to be the one to tell you."

"Then help me, please." I took his hands. "I...I don't want to lose another friend, Fraize. What if...What if - heaven forbid - something happens to her? I-I...I can't…!"

He squeezed my hands back, closing his eyes. "Valé. Let's go see Riko."

We walked around the entire Killing Odyssey to find Riko, though...she couldn't be found anywhere. I was more than worried, to say the least.

When we did eventually find her, it was because we heard the soft sounds of a clarinet being played. There she was, in the garden with Weise. The fashion designer watched her play, smiling lightly. Riko didn't seem to notice Fraize or myself look into the room, all of her attention directed towards keeping Weise happy.

"It's so beautiful…" Weise smiled cheerfully. "Tu es incroyable, Riko!"

Riko lowered her instrument, showing a faint smile. "Thank you, Weise. It means quite a lot coming from you. Those slips of paper were kind, but it means the most to hear my friend tell me in person."

"C'est vrai!" He insisted, pouting lightly. "Give yourself more credit!"

Riko sighed, looking away. "I really do appreciate your thoughts, Weise. It's just…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed Fraize and myself standing at the entrance.

I felt out of place, looking away and sighing. Maybe it's better to leave her alone. After all...I feel like even being around her only upsets her.

"H-Hey." I waved, awkwardly.

"Hey." She forced a smile, avoiding eye contact with me. "Are you...faring well today?"

I looked to the side, feeling my right arm. "I haven't died yet, so...I guess I'm alright. Could be better."

"Ah, I see." Riko nodded, trying to keep her composure.

This situation was incredibly uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say to Riko at all, even considering walking away.

"Riko, I…" I took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Riko looked back to me, caught off guard. "Ah?"

"I-I don't know what I did to upset you, a-and I'm not trying to be ignorant, but...if I did anything wrong…" I bowed my head. "Please, forgive me…"

She stood silently for a moment, shaking her head. "No, Kozaki. You have not done anything wrong at all. If anything…" She bowed her head as well. "I apologize."

"You're apologizing?" I looked up. "But...for what?"

The clarinetist took off her hat and held it, looking down. "I have been avoiding you today, yes. Though...it is not because you have done anything wrong at all. My behavior was disrespectful and inappropriate…"

I didn't know how to respond, mostly because I was baffled. I watched as Fraize walked over to her, patting her on the shoulder gently. He seemed to be uncomfortable, but still looking to help his friend in need. Weise was completely oblivious to what was going on, blinking and tilting his head to the side.

Riko took in a deep breath, as though she were about to reveal what was on her mind. However, she exhaled deeply, then inhaled again. She continued to do this for a good minute or two, I was worried she would go into cardiac arrest or who knows what.

"Kozaki, I…" She looked down. "I had a crush on you."

A short silence.

Riko shook her head. "Though, there is nothing to be done about it anymore. I figured it would be better for you not to know so it would not take away from your relationship. I apologize...I feel incredibly foolish."

I walked over to Riko, offering her a smile. "Riko...there's no reason to feel ashamed of yourself."

She looked up to me, squeezing her fedora lightly. "Ah…?"

I took in a breath of my own. "I...need to be honest with you, right?"

Riko held her hands together, nodding lightly. "Yes, if you please."

I looked to the side, then back to her. "I...cannot return your feelings, Riko."

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, silently putting on her fedora and showing me a smile. "Thank you, Kozaki."

"Huh?" I was surprised by her reaction.

She nodded. "It is of great relief to hear it from you. I hope that we may continue to be good friends."

I showed her a smile, chuckling lightly. "Of course, Riko. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Riko gave me a sudden hug, giggling lightly. "I feel a great relief now, thank you truly. Now...let us escape together, right?"

I returned the hug, nodding. "Of course, Riko. We're getting out of here."

Fraize and Weise both showed us smiles, happy to see the air was now much clearer than before.

"Will you...go talk to Mest, now?" Riko asked, stepping back. "I could sense a...sudden hostility between yourself and him."

I looked down to the floor, feeling at my necklace. "You too, huh? Is everyone going to try to get us to talk?"

An awkward silence.

"Mais...isn't it better to talk it out?" Weise spoke up. "Like when Mei found out about ton talent. Ou maintenant, with you and Riko telling each other tes vérités...shouldn't Mest get that same chance?"

I took in a deep breath. What Weise said made logical sense, but emotionally...

"I just...want to forget about everything." I shook my head. "Mest and Mikanne...they're not the same people. I refuse to believe it."

The fashion designer twiddled his fingers. "My mentor once told me une histoire."

"Hmm?" I looked up.

"People grow and change constantly, oui?" Weise puffed his cheeks. "Toutefois...their origins never change. Their past contributes to who they become. Luer passé, présent et futur...they all intertwine to create their identity." He then nodded. "So even if il est différent now...that won't erase what votre pasts were together. So…" He looked to the side. "I think...you both should talk to each other to understand là où tu es…"

"Weise…" I felt a little surprised to hear the fashion designer say something like this.

"My mentor is very wise." He smiled, faintly. "So...il a raison! Parce que...he has never been wrong."

That made me chuckle just a little. "Alright, Weise. I'll try to listen to your mentor's advice. I just...have to wait for now."

He smiled in response. "D'accord."

Riko then nodded to me. "Perhaps tomorrow will be a good time?"

I sheepishly smiled. "I-I might need a _bit_ more time than that."

"Understood." She then took out her Bottolet. "I shall head off to bed now."

"Quieres dormir ahora?" Fraize scratched the back of his head. "Pero...the night bell hasn't rung."

Riko gently pumped her fists with a determined smile. "I must wake up early to continue practicing the art of crepe making with Weise! Surely we will master it with enough time!"

That got our whole group laughing.

"Oui, I will go to sleep early as well!" Weise waved to us. "Bonne nuit!"

"Goodnight!" I smiled, waving goodbye to Riko and Weise.

* * *

You know, I've been meaning to tell you about my past. In truth, Mikanne wasn't my only friend I've ever had. There was another, one that I had known back in highschool. He was always kind to me, even knowing my record. I thought that I had a friend after so long, that they cared about me. That they wanted to see me grow and reach great success. We studied together, we played video games together, we ate lunch together, it really and truly felt like I was able to move on from Mikanne's departure. He even introduced me to his other friends. We'd get milkshakes at the local diner, go to the mall, hang out after dark...we did all the things we used to do as kids.

Yeah, I remember now. He was one of the children who used to hang out with us on those late summer nights. One of the kids who'd play at the bonfire meetups, who'd toast marshmallows and always burn them. He'd shrug it off and say they were better to be eaten that way, though I was skeptical and never wanted to try them myself.

That boy really made me feel like we were close. We would reminisce on memories, watching the sun go down. We'd eat ice pops and we'd go to parties, though the party life was never meant for me. I'd watch him and the others get drunk and get high, I'd stay in the corner whenever they'd ask me 'why not join in' or the like. Maybe it was the wrong crowd, but I didn't care. I just didn't want to be lonely anymore, I just wanted to connect with someone, at least _someone._

We shared different drugs, ones that I brought in myself. _Danganronpa,_ those were the drugs we would get high on Saturday nights. Those were the bloodstains that color our skies a shade of red deeper than any crimson stone. And for every next sullen grave came another, and every next murder brought a colder execution. We loathed the cycle of hope and despair, we ate it all up and got high time and time again. We felt alive, more alive than anyone. We as onlookers of a rotten killing game...we felt immortal.

It must've been while I was high when I fooled myself into believing I had an affection for him. I don't even know what overcame me. I just was so desperate, I suppose. So desperate to not ever be alone again. Everything happened so fast, it's hard to remember all the details even now.

I remember meeting him Tuesday after school, coming up to his locker as he picked up his things for the day. He had been talking to other friends, mentioning my name in a tone that I thought was...rather out of character. It sounded to be bitter, though I didn't know why. I approached him from behind, giving a shy wave. His entire expression shifted into a positive one, though I could detect some stress on his face. I decided to brush it off, asking him what his plans for the day were. He said he we just going to go home and study, to which I offered to join him. He declined.

I didn't want to keep him waiting, so I parted ways and took the city bus home. After all, the highschool was about fifty or so miles from home. He, too, usually rides on this bus. Though, he said his parents would be picking him up that day.

I actually saw him again after exiting from the bus. The walk home was passed the diner, after all. He was in there, sitting with two other girls in our friend group. I figured I could say hello, maybe even ask them about the history essay due on Friday. They...didn't seem to be pleased when they saw me.

…

That was around the time when those little thoughts returned to float in my mind. Those little doubts, grasping onto me and staining my young, hopeful heart. I had been lied to, have I? Damn it, I should've known. Who would want to be friends with someone like me, anyways? I felt betrayed, my heart stinging with the bitterest feeling of neglect. Fake friends...they're worse than having none.

No, they've never bullied me. They never spat in my face or kicked my shins. They never knocked the textbooks from my hands or cheated from my tests...but...even still. Being lied to, I just couldn't handle it. A fool, I was a fool.

I was heartbroken. Should've known better. I should've known, I don't even know what I was expecting to happen. Of course this is the outcome, I shouldn't have been so hopeful - so naive.

Hope...is just a lie. It raises your spirits so high...only for you to fall and have it hurt even more. It's a false security, it's a poisonous serendipity.

I should've known not to trust it, not to let it fool me. Once again I've been proven, and yet I'd keep falling for the same siren song over and over and over again. I'm tired, I've had enough.

I guess, at the end of the day, Mikanne was my only friend.

If...we were even friends at all.

* * *

I sat down at the garden after watching Riko and Weise leave. I looked over all the gravestones, feeling heavy in my heart. We're going to be rescued soon, that means...they'll all finally get to have a proper funeral, a proper memorial service, a proper laying to rest. It swallows me up inside, this feeling of sadness. If only we could've just held on for a little longer...if only we all didn't give in to those motives...would we all have still been alive together?

I imagine Yuuta and Anne would've been busy together in the kitchen, preparing a wonderful seafood platter. Maybe Anne would've opened up about herself, maybe Yuuta would've been there for her every second of the way. I imagine Ingreis skating with Weise in her shift room, she giving him the confidence he couldn't find on his own. Neizami and Tikari would be spending time together, bonding over their interests, their hopes, their dreams. Soro would be walking around, arms crossed. Neizami would invite him to join herself and Tikari, and perhaps they'd become good friends. Sayino would be as loud as ever, but nobody would mind it at all. She was always loud and proud, probably the only one who still has life inside of her.

"Hey, I like the sound of that." Yuuta showed a smile, looking to Anne. "It's been a long time since we've cooked together. In fact...I can't even remember the last time we've done that."

Anne sighed, feeling her apron. "Dear, you can't even remember where the bathroom is half the time." She then showed a gentle smile. "But...it would be nice to cook again with you."

Ingreis sat on the floor, arms crossed. "Hmph. It's been too long since I've graced the rink. I'm growing out of shape."

"Well...I-It can't be helped." Neizami nervously looked to the side.

Ingreis rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm aware. One day, though. You'll see. I'll get that gold medal, and then I'll have the last laugh."

"The last laugh?" Soro raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but you're a bit _dead_. You can't laugh, and you can't skate either."

"Is that a challenge, camera-boy?" She frowned, glaring at the cinematographer.

"That's camera-MAN to you!" He frowned in return.

"Hey, hey...everyone calm down." Sayino tried to break up the bickering pair. "Arguing does nothing for you blokes, you know?"

"My, my...we should all settle down and drink some tea." Anne turned to me. "Would you like to join us, Kozaki?"

"Join you…?" I looked to the side. "I'm...not sure how I could…"

"Zaki?" Fraize looked around. "Con quién estás hablando?"

"The others." I turned to Fraize. "They're going to have tea together."

"What?" Ingreis placed her hands to her hips. "I didn't agree to this! I have no room in my schedule!"

"What schedule?" Soro turned to her. "We have _nothing to do._ "

"Exactly that. My schedule is full of a lot of nothing." She nodded, bitterly.

"U-Umm…" Kamiyaki scratched her cheek with her index finger. "Isn't that...basically saying you're free?"

"Free for tea!" Yuuta smiled. "Hey, that rhymed."

"We'll all have to pick a time, eh?" Tikari looked to the side, thoughtfully.

"Why not right now?" The motorcyclist asked, grinning.

"Have you even checked the time?!" Ingries groaned. "Having a tea party now would be most appropriate!"

"I don't see a problem with it…" Yuuta blinked. "We don't need to sleep."

"U-Umm...Kozaki does." Neizami shyly raised a hand.

"Oh...that's right!" He sheepishly smiled. "I forgot."

"You forgot?" Kamiyaki giggled.

"Uh...how the fuck can you forget something like this?" Soro pointed to me. "He's breathing, isn't he?!"

"Let's have the tea tomorrow then, eh?" Tikari looked to me with a gentle smile. "Then Kozaki can join us. We have a lot to catch up on."

"That's right." I smiled in return. "Tomorrow sounds good to me."

"Wonderful, Kozaki!" Anne smiled. "Tomorrow it is!"

"Don't be late." Ingreis impatiently crossed her arms.

"Bring the others!" Kamiyaki clapped her hands. "We need to have a meal with all of us together again!"

"Y-Yeah...you're right!" I nodded. "A-And...then we'll-"

"Zaki? Zaki! Snap out of it!"

I looked up to see Fraize sitting in front of me, shaking me lightly.

"Huh?" I looked around, seeing the others disappear. "Where did they...?"

Fraize sighed, shaking his head. "Zaki, por favor...están muertos. You're hallucinating again."

I shook my head, feeling it lightly and not returning words.

Fraize placed a hand on the side of my face, making eye contact with me. "Necesitas move on, sí? Otherwise...you'll go loco, amigo."

I closed by eyes, resting my face against his hand and breathing slowly to calm myself. "I just wish I could wake up like this was all just a dream - a nightmare. Not because I regret meeting any of you. Not because I hate you. But...it's just…" I looked at him in the eyes. "If none of this ever happened...none of them would've died in such cruel ways."

Fraize closed his eyes, understanding how I was feeling. "Yo comprendo...pero, we need to salvage our future instead of regretting our past. Verdad?"

I swallowed hard. "You're...You're right."

The night bell rung throughout the facility, the lights all dimming in correspondence.

"Come, Zaki." The tour guide slowly stood up, offering his hand. "Dormir conmigo, okay? You're exhausted."

I took his hand, standing up and nodding. "...Thank you, Fraize."

With that, we walked out from the garden to the dorm rooms. We got dressed into our pajamas, brushed our teeth, then went to sleep.

Those anxieties...were still in my mind. They wouldn't leave no matter how hard I tried to push them away. Eventually...I managed to drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Hey, can you hear me?"

…

"Wake up, please…"

H...Hnn…

"Look, Zaki. Can you see it? It's over, it's finally over. We're free, we're saved…"

I slowly sat up and looked around my environment. I was sitting down in a cushioned seat, in a vehicle of some sort. The ceiling was made of glass, I could see stars fly by. This place...what is it?

There were streamers everywhere, gold sparkles scattered around the floor. On the walls were signs of congratulations, even a poster saying 'Winner winner chicken dinner' or whatever. I was confused, what was going on?

"Zaki, thank goodness…"

I looked to the side to see Fraize sitting besides me. He had a weak smile on his face, his eyes looking as though they had been crying waterfalls.

"Fraize…?" I looked around. "What's happening? Where are we?"

"We're free." He nodded, placing a hand on one of my shoulders and squeezing it gently. "We're going home. Erito's gone, Zepto is gone, the killing game is over."

No more Zepto...no wonder Fraize is speaking English in such clarity. I felt a surge of emotions rushing at me at once. We're free, we're going home. It's over...it's finally over…!

"Where...Where are the others?" I looked around. "Mei, Zraiko, Kyohi, Weise, Riko...e-even Mest...are they in other vehicles?"

Fraize didn't respond.

"Fraize?" I looked back to him.

"You...remember the rule, right?" He asked, voice shaking. "About...when the game ends…?"

I didn't understand. "When the mastermind is caught, right?"

He sighed, shaking his head and looking away. "No...remember the rule Monobotto told us? The rule about the number of participants needed for the game."

I looked away, my eyes slowly widening. "Then... everyone's...dead…?"

Fraize didn't respond.

"No, no…N-No! Please!" I placed my hands onto his shoulders, looking at him in the eyes. "They...They're not dead, Fraize! They can't be dead!"

He looked back to my own eyes, still not saying anything.

"No...No…" I looked down, tearing up. "We...We can't be the only survivors…! Please...say something!"

Fraize wrapped his arms around me, brushing my hair gently while holding me close. "Zaki...it's just me and you...I'm sorry...we couldn't stop the killing game...it went exactly how Monobotto said it would. They all crumbled from the pressure. It was too much. Help didn't come in time. Riko was the last one...she sacrificed herself so we could escape…"

I hugged him back, tightly. "Why…?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know why...I'm sorry."

I felt myself letting tears roll down my cheeks. I felt despair, the coldest despair I've ever seen. It felt like knives in my chest, my heart cracking under the emotional pressure. "We...We promised, damn it! We said we would all escape! How could this happen?! It's not fair...this isn't fair!"

No response.

"We can't…" My voice cracked. "I'd rather die...T-This can't be the end...I won't believe it...please…"

"Zaki…" Fraize leaned in. "We can't have this ending. We have to do something."

I slowly opened my eyes, looking to him.

"Listen to me…" He took my hands and squeezed them. "We can't let this happen. We have to stay together. All of us. We have to have each other's backs, we have to make sure none of us fall into the temptation of despair. If we are to hold on long enough to survive…"

I sniffled lightly, looking away. "I…"

"Zaki…" Fraize pressed his forehead against mine. "Don't let us die, please."

I slowly closed my eyes, squeezing his hands in return. "I won't...I promise...this isn't the ending we'll have. We'll escape, damn it! Me, you, and the others. I refuse to have an ending with only two survivors. I refuse to have an ending where that damn robot wins!" I frowned. "I will fight for our lives...and I'll die for us."

* * *

My eyes snapped open, my body sitting up rapidly. I panted, struggling to catch my breath.

Looking around, I could see I was the bedroom I had fallen asleep in. I checked the time, one in the morning huh? Maybe...Maybe that Zepto project had been cancelled after all. Now with Sayino gone...maybe it's impossible to continue? Well, good riddance to the program, I say.

Fraize was still resting in his bed. Looks like we won't be having any trouble at all. Good, good...I was tired of all the shit we've all been through with these experimentations and all.

Don't worry, Fraize. I won't let the killing game end with only us. We'll all get out of here, I swear.

I'd rather die than be only one of two survivors.

* * *

~ Chapter Five, Daily Life One, End ~


	28. The Collapse of Zepto Daily Life 2

Cold...dark…

It's that place again. The place deep within my mind where rain falls…

I'm here again, huh?

How often do I visit this place? How often am I even aware?

It doesn't matter...I'm too tired right now to care.

I looked around, seeing nothing but rainfall.

Something clicked in my mind, the realization of where I was. Well, not quite where I was. Rather, it was who would be here with me. This strange place without a name, I had only encountered Erito here once. He has to be here again, I'm sure. Now all I have to do is find him.

I called out to Erito, demanding for him to show himself. I was only met with silence. Damn it, I had to find him. If I didn't, what would happen to the others? Who else will die the longer Erito gets away with everything?

"Come out here and face me, damn you!" I shouted.

Nothing again.

I felt the rain patter against my body, feeling the rain on my skin. What did it mean? What the hell does all of this mean? I'm tired, I'm tired of this game. I'm tired of Erito and his puzzles and mind plays. It's like I amuse him, like he has me wrapped around his finger with a pretty bow on top. Am I so pretty, Erito? Am I so wonderful to observe?

I felt my cheek, just wanting to feel myself. Wanting to check to make sure it was still me. I feel as though I am fading. Damn it, where am I now? What's going on? Who am I anymore?

"Oh?"

I turned around to see nothing. That voice, however...it felt familiar. No doubt it was Erito's voice.

"Kozaki, Kozaki...you really do amuse me. It's funny how you're aware of it, but even still you do nothing to stop it."

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. "Stop the game, Erito. Stop it already."

I felt as though a pair of hands began to sift through my hair, playing with it. "Stop the game…? But why? This project has been going on for so long...and yet now it has to stop before it ever gets exciting?"

"Exciting?" I asked, unable to look behind me. "What are you waiting for, then? What's supposed to be exciting?"

Erito chuckled. I could feel him lean against me, massaging my shoulders. "Don't you know, Kozaki? The game ends when you catch me, right? Isn't that what you want?"

I felt disturbed, trying my best to get away from Erito's grasp. "I just want this game to end. I don't want it to be a whole Broadway hit!"

Erito burst out laughing, twirling my ahoge with his fingertips. "If only you knew just how much money this whole program was making. People are eating this up, Kozaki. It's all over the world. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What I wanted…?" I asked, confused.

"To have as many people watch this as possible." Erito teased me. "To help? Surely someone would want to help you, right?"

I looked down, sighing. He's right. I...I can't lie about this. I can't lie to myself. I wanted people to see us. I wanted people to know what was happening. But for this? To _brainwash_ them?

Is...Is this... _my fault…?_

"Poor Kozaki…" Erito caressed one of my cheeks. "You had such good intentions...only for them to go horribly wrong. You've damned all of your friends, haven't you?"

N...No...this can't be true. I wouldn't...I couldn't…

"Maybe I'm not the bad guy at all." Erito poked my cheek. "Maybe...it's you."

I shut my eyes and shook my head, shoving Erito off of me. "N-No, that's wrong!"

I was met with only more laughter.

"Shut...Shut up!" I covered my ears, trying to cut out the noise. "Stop it, fucking stop it! Stop it already!"

He only continued to laugh at me. "What a failure of a protagonist you are, Kozaki! And to think you wanted to protect your friends? You've damned everyone! This really is all your fault!"

"That's not true!" I bit my lip, unable to say more. Hundreds of thoughts were racing through my mind. Did...Did I really...is it really all my fault?

It's not true, it's not true. Lies, I won't accept this.

…

I counted to five, then opening my eyes. "You're wrong, Erito. This whole thing has been orchestrated by you. The killing game, the broadcasting...everything. You are the mastermind, and I swear...we're going to stop you and end it all."

A short silence. Erito walked over to me and poked the back of my head. "And that's what I like about you, Kozaki. Don't disappoint me. You are my star student, after all...I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next."

I used all of my strength to turn around as fast as I could to get a clear look at Erito's face...but once I managed to turn around all I could see were ripples in the water. Erito had already left me.

I looked down towards the ripples, seeing the water wobble and waver. Once all was steady and silent, all that was left was my reflection in the water.

* * *

I felt myself wake up before my eyes even opened. My return to consciousness was met by a gentle, warm feeling of some kind. Only this time, I knew why I was feeling that warmth.

"Hey." Fraize whispered to me, seeing as how I had just woken. "Estas a real blanket hog, ya sabes?"

I snickered, snatching the pillow and shoving it into his face. "Quiet, you…"

"Espera, haha." Fraize sat up, stretching lightly. "Mmm...quieres desayunar ahora?"

Lazilly, I yawned and plopped my body back down onto the bed. "Five more minutes…"

Fraize rustled my hair, chuckling lightly. "Cinco minutos? You sure like to sleep in, don't you?"

"What?" I rolled my body to face him. "That's hardly sleeping in, you know. Well...for me it is, anyway."

He looked at me with a rather smug smile, stretching his arms and letting out a yawn. "Mhm...but you did have una buena noche de descanso, right?"

I then looked away. "R...Right."

He immediately caught on to my tone of voice. "...So you didn't."

"W-Well…" I sat up, feeling my right arm. "It was for the most part...but I had a nightmare. Erito was there. He mocked me."

"Erito did?" His expression shifted to one of worry.

"He told me..." I held my face in my hands. "That I had gotten the entire world... _hypnotized_ by this killing game. All because I wanted as many people to find us as possible. All because I thought that the more people were watching, the more people would want to save us. And I...I believed him, Fraize. I believed, for at least a moment, that it was my fault." I took in a deep breath. "And it doesn't matter if I was able to shake it off and come to my senses. The fact that I had believed him for just a moment...I'm ashamed of myself."

Fraize quietly nodded along to my story, then firmly placing a hand onto my shoulder. "Don't forget who Erito is. Una mente maestra. You were able to resist him, sí?" He then got out of bed and changed out of his pajamas into his daily uniform. "You should be proud. That's what I think."

I slipped out of the bed and walked over to him, picking up my own clothes to get dressed for the day. "Even still, though...what if next time I don't resist him? What if I play right into his hands?"

He turned to me with a smile. "I know you, Zaki. I know...you're better than Erito. Entonces…" He then adjusted my hoodie for me, giving it a light tug and nodding with reassurance. "Pienso que you'll be just fine."

I couldn't help but smile, feeling comfort from his words. "Thank you, Fraize." I then patted my stomach. "Let's go get something to eat, then."

So the two of us headed to the dining room. The others were all there, a platter of toast laid out on the center of the table with various tubs of cream cheese and vegetables laying around.

"Good morning." Riko greeted us with a smile. "I have prepared us all breakfast to eat together! Is it to your liking?"

I looked over the spread, then turning back to the clarinetist. "You did all of this? It's wonderful, Riko."

"Why, thank you, Sir Arsonist." She curtsied to me with a gentle smile. "Have a seat, please. It has been quite some time since we've all eaten together as a group."

I took a seat at the table, grabbing some toast and slapping on some roasted tomato cream cheese. I didn't really pay much attention to the others, mostly because I didn't have much to say.

"So, everyone...how were the calls yesterday?" Riko tried to stir up a conversation.

"Umm...it was alright." Kyohi looked to the side. "My parents told me they were praying for me. That I had to keep believing with all of you that we'll make it out of here." He looked down and sighed. "I...really don't like seeing my parents like this. They should be worried about other things...not if I'm going to die in an awful way."

There were murmurs at the table, feeling sympathetic towards the hockey player.

"And also…" Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "Someone sent me a note saying I had some kind of anime redemption arc?" He seemed to be baffled. "I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I decided not to continue reading those notes."

Riko felt at her cheek. "Ah? Well...if we are to stay on the topic of those notes, I too read one." She then giggled, lightly. "I received a note saying that I am the 'best girl' and that they wish for my survival."

Mei rolled her eyes. "Not like there's much competition at this point, hermana."

Riko then gave the vigilante a reassuring smile. "If I had to choose someone besides myself, you would be the best girl Mei."

That didn't seem to help. Mei just sighed and took a bite of toast. "Gracias…"

"Anyone else read those slips?" Kyohi asked out of curiosity.

"Someone called me a neckbeard." Zraiko grumbled. "It was the first and the last slip I read."

"Oh?" Riko tilted her head. "Your beard does not appear to be as long. It's more on the shaved side, I believe."

Zraiko just sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Sure, let's just go with that…"

"I didn't read any of les enveloppes." Weise looked to me. "Because of Kozaki's warning, I thought they were très dangereux…"

"Tambien, I didn't read any." Mei shook her head. "Those writers pueden comer mierda for all I care."

Mest didn't provide his own thoughts on the notes. Probably because...he seemed to be too uncomfortable to speak…

Fraize and I shared our own experiences with the notes. We all finished breakfast, then cleaning up and bringing everything to the kitchen. After washing up, I watched the group dispersed with a strong feeling of awkwardness.

That was when I felt a thought float into my subconscious. The tea party...that's right.

I didn't know how to make tea at all. Luckily there were some bottles of tea drinks in the fridge for me to snag. I scooped them up and brought them back into the dining room before closing the door behind me. I placed eight bottles into open seats, then keeping one for myself.

I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Good morning...how are you all today?"

No response.

"Not too lively, huh?" I sighed. "That's my fault, right? Are you all gone because of me? Is...Is it really how Erito says it is? That I screwed everyone? Fraize doesn't think so, but...even still, I…"

"It's not like you could've known this would happen." Ingreis replied, simply. "You can't hold yourself accountable for our deaths."

I looked back up, still having a heavy feeling in my heart. "But...isn't it true?"

"How many times do you need this lesson taught to you, Kozaki?" Soro asked, impatiently. "Are you an old man?"

"W-Well, I don't think I am." I unscrewed the cap of my tea and took a sip. "But...I just don't know. I get what everyone is saying to me, but there's this darkness inside me that...stops me from letting go."

"Dear, you are your worst enemy." Anne looked to me, nodding. "If you can overcome yourself, maybe then you'll escape with everyone."

I took another sip. "I suppose that's a fair point, Anne…"

Tikari then offered me a smile. "Maybe you need to have regular pep talks to give yourself a boost, eh? If you can't give them to yourself…"

Kamiyaki leaned in, smiling with a rather smug aura. "You've got a boyfriend who can do it for you, right~?" She then giggled.

"How romantic…" Anne sighed, dreamily.

"C-Cut it out, guys." I waved a hand, looking to the side. "Okay, okay...you're right. I'll talk to him about it."

"Don't forget." Yuuta pointed to me with a smile. "Your loved ones are the best support you have!"

My loved ones...

Neizami then shyly raised a hand. "M-Maybe we can talk about something else to lighten the mood?"

"Good idea!" Yuuta grinned. "What should we do?"

"We should all do some bonding as we drink tea." Sayino leaned back in her seat with a grin. "Like playing a game of some kind."

"How about a card game?" Yuuta smiled, raising his hand.

"Please." Ingreis picked up her tea bottle. "Keep me out of it."

"Then...maybe we could sing a song?" Kamiyaki suggested. "You know...raise our spirits and stuff?"

"Hehe...she said raise our spirits." Soro chuckled under his breath.

"A song…?" I looked to the side.

"Something on your mind, Kozaki?" Tikari looked to me with a smile. "You have a song, eh?"

I looked back to the others, feeling my right arm in embarrassment. "W-Well...I guess I do."

"Oh! Please share." Anne smiled, clapping her hands together.

I looked down to the ground. "I-I'm not sure…"

"Aw, I don't remember the last time Kozaki sang anything." Yuuta grinned.

"Maybe because...he hasn't?" Kamiyaki giggled. "C'mon, it'll be fun~!"

I closed my eyes and looked back up. "Sorry...singing isn't my talent. I'd rather not…"

Neizami felt her scarf. "T-That's okay, Kozaki! Y-You don't have to if you don't want to."

I chuckled, nodding. "Thanks, Neizami." I then took another sip from my tea. "...Hey, can I ask you all something?"

"Eh?" Tikari blinked. "What do you want to ask us?"

"Just…" I shook my head, lightly. "I had a nightmare last night, and I need some advice."

The others all looked at each other.

"I...dreamt that the game ended with only two survivors." I gulped. "How...How can I make sure this doesn't happen?"

A short silence.

"Well...help is coming, isn't it?" Kamiyaki offered me a smile. "So...that already means something, right?"

I looked down, anxiously. "What if help doesn't make it here in time?"

"Don't think like that, Kozaki." Sayino gave me a thumbs up. "I know you guys will pull through. You've all survived for this long, right?"

I crossed my arms onto the table, hiding my face with a sigh. "But...But I don't know what to do...I can't let that dream become a reality! So...So I-"

I looked up, hearing the sound of the door creaking open. The others were there, each holding faces of bewilderment.

"...He's finally lost it." Zraiko whispered to Mest. "Quick, do something."

"What?" Mest turned back to him. "I'm probably the last person who should say anything!"

"Okay…" Zraiko pushed Fraize forward. "You say something. He's your boyfriend."

"Q-Que?" Fraize turned back to the hacker. "I-I'm not an expert in this...R-Riko should go."

"M-Me?" Riko held her hands together. "But...what am I to do…?"

"Something social?" Zraiko shrugged.

Riko shook her head. "I cannot…"

Mei gave herself a face palm. "Uhg…"

Weise then looked up. "Umm...what's wrong with having a tea party par toi-même?"

"It's not normal." Kyohi whispered back to the fashion designer.

"Quoi?" Weise pouted. "But...I do it all the time!"

"I believe this is a different sort of tea party…" Riko gulped.

Mei marched over to the table, picking up a tea bottle, unscrewing the cap and examining it. "I'll handle this."

I blinked, looking around in confusion. "Handle...what?"

Mei then splashed the tea into my face. "Buenos dias, Dunce-suke. Wake up, please."

"W-What the hell?!" I yelped, falling out of my seat.

"He's awake now." Mei crossed her arms, shaking her head. "Agradéceme después."

I looked around the room feeling confused. The entire reality I thought I was in had disintegrated in only a moment's notice. Now I find myself in another place, one that I wanted to avoid. A place where I had to accept that my friends were gone. Where I had to accept that I'm losing my mind, that I'm going to drive myself insane the more I want to believe that everything is alright.

"Mei, that was incredibly inconsiderate of you." Riko looked to me with worry. "Kozaki, are you alright?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "...I need some space."

Everyone stepped away from the door in order for me to walk by. I felt at my head, my gut twisting up. I'm such a fucking mess.

I headed over to the library, sitting down on one of the couches and looking up at the ceiling with no real purpose.

* * *

The first time I had an experience with death was when I was about nine years old. I was playing with Mikanne out in the forest. We went a bit deeper than usual, following along the creek past the place where we would usually stop to hang out by the mini waterfall. We wanted to go on an adventure, as we called it. We followed every twist and turn of the creek, then finding ourselves in a very quiet field of grass with many large sharp stones scattered all around.

I was worried, to be honest. We've never gone this far out before, and...I just wanted to turn back and go home. Mikanne encouraged me to stay with him, to just look around and maybe pick up any lost things that we could keep for ourselves.

We looked around without finding very many noteworthy items. That was until we found a very strange cracked rock lying on the ground. There seemed to be some weird paint on it, it being kinda darkish brown in color? That was the most my nine-year-old self could recognize, anyway.

Upon further inspection, we found many other rocks with these strange bits of paint scattered around. Then...we found a person. It was a man, laying on the ground sleeping.

"M-Mik, careful…" I gulped. "I-It would be rude to wake up the sleeping man…"

Mikanne turned to me, blinking. "Who takes a nap on a bunch of rocks? It doesn't seem very comfy."

I looked to the side. "Mmm...you're right…"

Mikanne then took out his junior's backpack and pulled out a blanket that he had been carrying with him. We were going to use that blanket to make a makeshift tent to play in. "Well, let's help the man be comfy."

I watched as Mikanne placed the blanket onto the man, him then smiling and nodding.

"It's okay, mister. You can keep it for as long as you need. Don't get cold, okay?" He stood still, not really expecting a response from the sleeping man.

I walked over to stand next Mikanne, inspecting the man for myself. His hair was brown, his face looking quite younger. I'd say he wouldn't be as old as my parents, but...he's had some sort of life story. His eyes were closed, his face seeming to be peaceful. Then...I noticed something quite off about the man.

"Hey...Mik?" I turned to Mikanne. "There's a weird smell here."

"Maybe it's because the man is sleeping outside?" Mikanne blinked, confusedly.

I looked every closer still. "There's...a lot of flies around this man, Mik."

Mikanne looked closer as well. "Well...maybe it's because there just happen to be a lot of flies in this place?"

I looked extremely closely. That's when I noticed the strangest thing about the sleeping man. "Mik...the man's head looks kinda weird."

"Hmm?" Mikanne tilted his head. "...Yeah...it has that same paint as the rocks. It...also looks a bit dented."

"T-That doesn't look very healthy." I gulped. "Maybe...he's sleeping to help soothe the pain?"

Mikanne worriedly felt at his left wrist. "...Zaki?"

"Y-Yeah?" I turned to my best friend.

He looked me in the eyes. "W-We...We should go home now and not bother the sleeping man."

"Oh. That makes sense." I nodded. "Alright...let's go home."

Well, once we got home, we told my parents all about the sleeping man in the forest. They didn't seem to be too thrilled by our discovery. They asked if we could take them over to the sleeping man, to which we obliged.

When we got there, Mom said she had to make an important phone call. She asked my dad to stay with us and keep us close. I didn't know what the phone call was, but...soon the field of grass and stones found itself with more visitors.. They were about six different people, wearing blue and black uniforms. Mikanne and I asked them to be careful not to wake the sleeping man.

I recall one of the uniformed people whispering to themselves, "The poor kids don't even know…"

The people then asked for us to return home, saying that they would be taking care of this case of the sleeping man.

When night fell and I was being tucked into bed, I remember noticing distress on my mother's face. I figured she was worried about the sleeping man, so...I asked her about it. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" She asked, gently.

"When will the sleeping man wake up?" I looked her in the eyes.

And that's when she told me...the sleeping man would never wake up again.

* * *

After spending some time sitting alone in the library, reevaluating myself and my own psyche, I decided I was ready to step out and at least try to spend time with the others.

While on my way through the first floor of the dorms, I bumped into Fraize. It looked like he was looking for me, funnily enough.

"Ah, Zaki! Hola." He smiled and waved. "Estoy feliz de haberte encontrado."

"Oh? What do you mean, Fraize?" I looked around the hallway, feeling confused.

Fraize took my hand and started to lead me through the halls. "Rapido, Zaki! There's something important you need to see!"

Something important? Well, I guess that means I shouldn't question it...

We arrived in the West Hallway, I took a look around the scene. My attention was then directed to the door of the North Study Room, where _almost_ everyone else was. A certain someone was missing.

I haven't personally spent much time here at all, mostly because there wasn't much purpose in coming here.

"We're holding an investigation." Fraize nodded to the others. "Pensamos que Erito ha estado aqui."

That certainly increased my interest in the room. "Erito has been here?"

"Sí." Fraize motioned to the door. "Quieres mirar?"

I felt like this whole ordeal was a bit off. Why were they just gathered here not doing anything? And...where is Mest?

Uhg, nevermind that. Just go in the room.

I opened the door of the room, stepping inside and looking around. There were some bookshelves with, conspicuously enough, books on their shelves. Plenty of them, too. There were some desks with chairs to accompany them, a few lamps and not much else.

Mest was sitting at one of the desks, he noticed me and seemed to grow uncomfortable.

"Alright, tenes alegría ahora!" Fraize called to me before closing the door quickly.

"W-Wait, what the hell?" I turned back to the door, then going to open it.

It was locked.

Great...just great. This was a set up. Damn it, they all really want us to talk that bad?

…

Let's just get this over with. I already know it's not going to end well.

I took a seat in a chair across from Mest, sighing and folding my arms on the table. "Well, you have me here now. What do you want?"

He avoided eye contact, feeling somewhat insecure. "Just...to talk to you. That's all."

"Mhm." I looked away. "Did you organize this?"

"No." He looked to me. "The others did."

I guess it wouldn't be wrong to think this is something they're capable of.

"So then, are you going to talk or not?" I asked, impatiently.

He sat upright in his chair, nodding. "How are you doing?"

Uhg...how do you think I'm doing? If it's not obvious, I'm doing _horribly_.

"I'm fine." I replied, simply. A clear lie, but one to demonstrate my complete disinterest in being present.

"I have a lot I need to tell you, Zaki." He leaned forward. "I'll tell you everything, I swear. Just...please give me a chance."

I sighed, looking to him. "On one condition."

"What is it?" He asked, sounding as though he was willing to do anything if it meant I would listen.

I frowned, then pointing to him. "Don't call me _Zaki_. My name is _Kozaki_. Only my close friends can call me Zaki, got it?"

"But-" He tried to say something.

"No buts." I shook my head. "I am Kozaki. You are Mest. That's it."

He looked down in defeat. "...Alright. I understand, Kozaki."

After a short silence, I leaned back in my chair. "Why have you been lying to me this whole time? If you really are Mikanne, anyway."

He seemed to be quite calm, looking into my eyes. "...You're not the same."

I blinked, shaking my head lightly. "Well...people grow. Did you think I would be the same eleven-year-old boy from all those years ago?"

He chuckled a bit. "Well to be fair, you're holding me to that very same standard."

That made me grumble just a bit. "Well, what do you mean then? That I'm not the same?"

He took some time to observe me. "...You used to be such a sweet boy. So well mannered. And yet now…"

"Don't try that with me. Trying to gain my trust like that with lost nostalgia." I turned away. "Just tell me your story without trying to get my sympathy."

It took him a short moment to reply. "Your eyes."

That caught my attention. I looked back to him, feeling somewhat insecure. "What about them?"

"They're different." He closed his eyes. "That's why I wasn't sure if it was really you or...some fake implanted into the game that was meant to represent you. Your eyes aren't...supposed to be like this."

That response worried me. "Not supposed to be like this?"

"I can't remember why. I guess it's one of those memories that's being suppressed, but…" He nodded. "At first...I didn't even know if you were really him at all. But, after the first trial...I knew it had to be you. Even though you're not the same sweet boy from all those years ago, something about you hasn't changed. The way you care about people. You still have that goodness in your heart."

I closed my eyes to think about what he was saying. "Then...why didn't you talk to me after?"

"Monobotto confronted me." He looked to the side. "He said to remember our little deal from before the game…"

This new information really stood out like a sore thumb. "...Before the game? Weren't you passed out like the rest of us?"

He shook his head. "I needed...special preparation. I'm not allowed to explain this as of now. As long as we are here, Monobotto has a barrel pressed to my head."

I looked to the side. "Are you...the mastermind…?"

He shook his head. "Never would even dream of it. My memories of _Danganronpa_ have been locked away just as everyone else's. They had to give me this treatment because they couldn't allow for you to know who I was. That's why Monobotto said I was dead when you asked."

"Wait." I felt at my head. "So...let me get this straight. If you ever revealed yourself to me, Monobotto would kill you?"

"Exactly that." He nodded, frowning. "But again, I cannot yet reveal why. Please bare with me. All I can say is...it was to uphold the purity of their experiment."

That clicked with me. All those times Erito talked to me, all those mentions of this great experiment. It's...It's me. They're experimenting on me. Well, the Zepto file about me even said it outright.

It didn't sound too outrageous. After all, I was installed into whatever that Zepto program was. But I feel like there's so much more. All those signs of Monobotto being interested in me, all these cultists and tests and all this damn shit I've had to endure...what the hell did it all mean? Being cleansed, every test and procedure, needing to be pure?

Uhg...it's all shit I can't understand...

"It's been really hard…" He covered his face. "Remember that first love one's call? I called my mom. She was begging me to tell you who I was. She said if we were going to die, we had to at least know we were together. Best friends...just like we used to be…" His voice progressively got more shaky. "I tried to tell you, damn it...but I kept cutting it too close. I didn't want to die...I just wanted my best friend back."

I looked him in the eyes, then looking around his body. It was then when...I noticed something was missing.

"You're still wearing the necklace, after all this time." He showed me a smile. "So...you still believe, right? That we can still be friends?"

I frowned, looking to his hands. His bracelet's gone. "Looks like you stopped believing."

He looked to his left wrist, then holding it. "It's not what you think. I lost it."

"Oh, you _lost_ it, huh?" I shook my head. "And I'm supposed to believe that, too?"

"I can explain." He tried to reassure me. "The cultists took it from me."

"What?" I ended up laughing. "What the hell would a bunch of cultists want with a meaningless string bracelet?"

"It's not meaningless!" He insisted. "Zaki, you don't understand!"

"Oh, I understand perfectly." I reached behind my neck and took off the necklace. "You never wanted to see me again. You went to Japan and never tried to talk to me, you wanted to cut me out of your life." I then slammed the necklace down onto the table.

"That's not it!" He tried to say more, but I wouldn't let him.

"This is over." I stood up, pulling up my hood. "You never tried. Not even once. Even in this damn game, a fucking envelope had to convince you to reveal yourself to me. When I was hurt, you didn't seem to care. _When Anne almost fucking killed me, where were you?_ So fine." I pushed the necklace across the table into his possession. "We're over, _Mikanne_. We're strangers now, just like the rest of them." I leaned in. "Is this what you wanted to achieve? Well, congratu-fucking-lations."

"Didn't you hear everything I just told you?!" He stood up from his seat. "I couldn't tell you! Maybe because Monobotto was saving the reveal for that motive, I don't know at all. But you have to believe me!" His eyes were filled with sadness. "Zaki...it's me…"

I only frowned in return. "I told you not to call me Zaki anymore." I then turned my back to him.

He didn't say anything in return. With that, I stormed out of the room. I even broke the fucking doorknob as I swung it with such force. I didn't even give the others a chance to talk to me or ask what happened. I just had to get out of there.

I felt like I was going to kill him.

I headed back into my dorm room and shut the door with great infuriated strength, sinking to the floor and covering my face.

Deep down inside...I wanted my old friend back, too. I wanted to be the Mik and Zaki duo again. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him. I wanted to tell him how every day I hoped to see him again. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me.

…

But I...I couldn't do it.

It's all too much right now. My head is pounding, hundreds of thoughts and emotions screaming at me. I can't take it.

I picked up my flamethrower that was laying beside the wall and hid it inside the closet of my room.

Out of sight, out of mind.

I'm not ready yet for Mikanne to re-enter my life. Not like this, damn it!

This day has just been awful.

…

I need to have a rest.

* * *

I woke up from my nap upon hearing the sound of my Bottolet buzzing. A notification of some kind.

Great. It's probably more fanfiction.

Sitting up from my bed and reaching over to the nearby bed stand, I picked up the tablet and checked what message I had received.

To my surprise, it was from Mei. An invitation to...her Shift Room. Knowing her, she must have really gone out of her way to organize whatever this event will be. After all, she's much more of a lone wolf type of person. I can't imagine her ever being involved in social activities.

…

By that logic, this meeting must be serious.

I quickly fixed my hair from the severe case of bed head I had, then I walked over to the area of the student Shift Rooms, my hood still up. There was quite a crowd, I might have even been the last one there. I tried to stand by the wall, away from everyone else. I just...didn't feel like talking to anyone.

"Amigo!" Fraize slid up next to me. "Como estás?"

I laughed. "Quiero morir."

He didn't seem to think my response was funny. "Zaki…"

"Sorry." I shook my head. "I'm...feeling like a complete mess, honestly."

Fraize nodded, not asking me anymore questions to respect the space that I needed right now.

"Mei, what's this about?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "You're usually more...antisocial. having you call for a group meeting is rather surprising."

The vigilante leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "Consider this a favor, Nikiroi. I will be enseñandote a pelear."

"Teaching...to fight?" I asked, worriedly. "Why would we-"

"Dunce-suke, it's for self defence." Mei frowned, scanning her Bottolet into one of the student Shift Rooms. "Sígueme."

We all exchanged glances before entering Mei's Shift Room.

The setting was that of a mountain forest, there even being some small, rundown buildings to complete the aesthetic. There was a clearing of trees to reveal a field with various rocks and fallen trees. Mei climbed onto one of the larger rocks and looked over us with her arms crossed. "Escuchame, ahora! Quieres morir, or do you want to survive?!"

We were caught off guard, fumbling for words.

"Well?!" She yelled out to us, demanding a response of some kind.

"Yes, Mei!" We called out.

"Yes Mei, are your ears full of mierda?!" She scowled. "Sí, quieres morir?!"

"No quiero morir!" We called back.

"Quieres vivir?!" She called out.

"Yo quiero vivir!" We returned her call.

"Bueno." She hopped off the rock and eyes at us. "Kimizai, spar with me. I need someone to help with demonstration."

Fraize awkwardly walked over, feeling the back of his head. "Umm...Mei? Yo no puedo luchar…"

"Ridiculo." Mei crossed her arms. "Listo?"

The tour guide looked to the side. "N-No-"

Mei made a swing with her leg, rapidly. "Murderers wait for no one!"

Fraize stepped back, narrowly dodging. "Valé, valé!"

I watched nervously as the two sparred with each other. Mei was a vigilante, so of course she was an extremely capable fighter. Fraize, on the other hand? Would he even hurt a fly?

I feel like he'd rather sit down with that fly and have a chat, knowing him. I've never seen him be violent before, so why would he-

It was then when Fraize landed a solid punch.

"Gh…!" Mei rubbed the side of her torso. "Estoy sorprendido. Kimizai, why are you holding back?"

...Holding back?

"Qué?" Fraize asked, seemingly confused.

"No actúes como I wasn't there." Mei brushed her clothes. "Fui yo who had to stop you when you strangled Kimidori."

…

Wait, what?

Fraize strangled Anne? When did this happen?!

Was...Was it after I got stabbed? But...But why would he…?

"Give me everything, ahora!" Mei pointed to Fraize. "Don't hold back on me! Lucha, damn it!"

It didn't look like much at first, but slowly I started to see just what Mei was talking about with him holding back. He always looked like he was ready to throw an expertly calculated punch, but before he would swing he's suddenly veer his body away. He'd dodge and block every attack Mei would make, but...he would never retaliate. It looked like that single punch was all he was willing to show.

"No puedes just keep dodging forever, Kimizai." Mei spat into the ground. "Pienses que a killer would show you mercy?

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Mei...no quiero luchar contigo…"

"Por el amor de Dios!" The vigilante seemed to be extremely frustrated. "At least do _something!"_

It was then when he suddenly grabbed Mei by the wrists and slung her whole body over his shoulder. "...Lo siento. I'm done here."

It seemed as though that was enough to get her to drop it. She cursed to herself and sighed. Fraize then released her, then taking a seat off to the side.

We were...all feeling very out of place.

"Alright, who's next?" Mei looked around. "Daisuke?"

I slowly took a stand, walking over to the vigilante nervously. "I don't think you're going to be all too impressed with me…"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Solo inténtalo."

Well, I was a complete flop. Mei easily took me down simply by flipping me over and slamming me onto my back. From there, she pinned me to the ground. "What will you do ahora?"

The logical thing to do would be to use my legs to retaliate. Problem was, I was too uncoordinated and out of mind to even do anything useful to defend myself. I was...just helplessly struggling to get Mei to even budge.

"Excuse me, Mei?" Riko politely raised a hand.

"Qué es, Hamoizumi?" The vigilante turned to her, expression unchanged.

Riko lowered her hand. "Perhaps we should practice with each other before taking on yourself?"

Mei looked back to me, then sighing and getting off. "Alright. Everyone, find a partner."

Since Fraized seemed to be completely disinterested in the combat lesson, I decided to partner with Riko. We bowed to each other before getting into...some sort of a fighting stance.

"No, no. This is all incorrecto." Mei frowned at us. "Daisuke, you're too stiff. Hamoizumi, demasiado relajado."

We took a moment to try to rectify our postures. Mei then crossed her arms and observed us spar with each other. She seemed to be unimpressed, but at least thankful for our efforts.

After practicing for what felt like hours, I took a seat on the ground to catch my breath and look around. I looked over to see Weise and Kyohi sparring together, though...it was hardly sparring at all.

The two of them were throwing punches rather clumsily. Kyohi took a swing and tripped over his own feet, toppling to the ground. Weise quickly tried to help the hockey player, tripping over his own feet and landing about a foot away from Kyohi. The two of them stared at each other before bursting out in laughter and standing back up again.

Once our little training session was over, Mei gathered us all together to give us a pep talk of sorts.

"Pronto, you'll start to see how many days go by sin otra muerte." Mei tugged on her jacket, nodding firmly. "You'll see. Esto valdrá la pena." She pointed to all of us. "Tomorrow, same time. Comprendes?"

"Yo comprendo!" We all saluted the vigilante.

I watched as Mei walked away, closing my eyes and letting out a sigh. Soon, we'll start to see how many days go by without another death. That's what Mei said, right?

…

It's been two days since someone's died.

* * *

I headed back to Fraize's dorm room ready to call it a night. I was just burnt out from today emotionally, not wanting to encounter Mest any more than I had to. The tour guide, of course, was worried for me. After all, I barely had anything to eat at all today. Today was an emotional rollercoaster and...I don't think I can handle anymore.

"Zaki, no puedes seguir haciendo esto." He sighed, shaking his head lightly. "You have to make up with him eventually."

I flopped down onto the bed, just wanting to push the thought as far away as I could. "Please, leave it Fraize. Best case scenario, we escape and never speak to each other again."

"This isn't fair for Mikanne." He insisted. "Él está tratando de reconectarse contigo."

I looked away. "I get that. I know he is. I know that he's trying. I just...I feel betrayed. How would you feel if your only friend exited your life for _years_ only to see you again under another alias and...and not even say something unless it meant life or death?"

The tour guide patted me on the shoulder. "I would ask for la historia completa."

"And I did!" I turned to look back to him. "But he told me he couldn't explain certainty hints and...I lost my patience."

"Todo desde the day he left?" Fraize tilted his head.

I looked down. "W...Well, no. It was as much he could tell me about him being in the game…"

He leaned in and poked my cheek. "Give him una oportunidad más, Zaki. Por favor...murders happen because of fights like these." His face grew to hold an expression of worry. "You just might mátalo."

That resonated with me. It caused me to remember the promise I made to Mr. Steveston. "No, Fraize...I promised I'd never kill anyone."

"Make sure…" He leaned in. "...that you can keep that promise."

We were silent together for a while. I needed to calm down, I needed to stop being such...such an ass. Mikanne deserves better, despite how angry I feel. Tomorrow...I'll try to talk to him again. This time, on my own accord.

It was then where I thought about how to change the subject. "You were great today, sparring with Mei I mean. I don't think she hit you a single time with all your dodging and weaving. A-And when you did do something, it was pretty cool. How you flipped her over your shoulder and everything." I offered a faint smile. "M-Maybe you can even teach me some moves? I'd really like that."

Fraize didn't seem to take my praise too well, looking away with a sigh. "...Gracias."

"Huh?" I sat up, looking to him. "Why do you sound...unhappy?"

"Ah?" He looked back to me. "Oh...it's a long story."

"I have the time." I insisted. "Is it...about your past?"

He nodded, looking down. "...Mi padre taught me to fight."

"I see…" I gulped. "It...makes sense, I guess."

"He tried to get me...involved in mafia affairs." Fraize began to slow down his speech, making sure everything was in English to me. "Ever since I...was five."

"Five years old?" I was shocked. "What were you doing, then?"

Fraize looked to me, his eyes were filled with pain. "Father's training was...very violent. He would...beat me with bats. He would...whip me. Told me… 'Deja de llorar ahora!' over and over. Told me to fight back...and so I did. Or, I tried to."

I reached one of my arms across his shoulders to comfort him, unable to find words to say.

"Most of the time, father would bring me to...drug jobs." Fraize leaned against me, resting himself. "Because...why would police think a car with a young boy...would be hiding so many drugs in it? Father told me if I ratted him or anyone out...he'd kill me...kill Mother, everyone…" He covered his face. "I did...almost anything father would tell me. When I defied him, he would beat me…"

I still couldn't think of what to say at all. "Fraize…"

He took in a deep breath. "The worst...happened when I was eleven. Father brought me with him on a hit. Had to kill someone who...wasn't being loyal. When Father's target was cornered...he gave me the gun. 'Termina el trabajo, Ramón.' He instructed me. I couldn't do it...I couldn't take that man's life." He teared up. "The man took the gun from my hands...and shot himself in the head. He'd rather die...than have a child chained to their murderous father take his life. I cried...I cried and cried and screamed. Father put his hand over my mouth, told me to shut up. Fled the scene...I cried to Mother, couldn't sleep for days…"

I held him tightly, trying to comfort him but not even knowing if I was any help at all. "Fraize...you can stop now...I'm sorry...I never knew."

Fraize hugged me back, squeezing me. "I've seen so many terrible things, Zaki. I wish I could forget, but they'll never leave me."

We sat in silence together. My heart was aching, I couldn't even imagine the sheer horrors that Fraize would've experienced as a child. He's never even had a proper childhood at all, and yet somehow he's been able to grow and become someone hopeful. "I wish...I could be even a fraction as strong…"

He chuckled a little, wiping his eyes a bit. "Me, fuerte?"

"You're still standing, Fraize." I nodded. "Well...I mean you're sitting right now, but you get the point. You're...still alive, you still smile every day. With such a heavy burden, too. You're...the strongest person I know."

He seemed to be flustered, feeling the back of his neck and chuckling again, awkwardly. "Ahaha? R-Really?"

I looked upwards, nodding. "Mhm."

He looked away, feeling shameful. "Zaki...I shouldn't have ever been born. Not me or any of my siblings. We're all...accidents created by Father. Mother never consented, not a single time. And yet…"

"Don't." I turned to him. "Don't you ever say you're not meant to be here, Fraize."

He slowly turned back to me, seemingly surprised.

"If you weren't meant to be here, why are you here? Why are you alive now? Why have you found someone who loves you and who you love in return?" I shook my head, hugging him tightly. "So don't you ever say your existence is a mistake. Please…" I forced a smile. "I already have that going for me. I don't think I can handle you feeling the same."

The tour guide looked at me in silence for a moment before poking my head. "Same goes for you, amigo. You're here for a reason también. Por favor…" He took my hands and squeezed them gently. "Let's...give each other reasons to live."

I took in a deep breath, smiling and nodding. "I promise."

…

Let's be broken together.

* * *

Do you have all of the experiments ready?

Indeed, I do.

Good, good. Our project Zepto can no longer progress the way it is now.

I've come to understand that. We're moving on to the alternate plan, correct?

Absolutely.

Then let's begin our file installation. Bring Number One over.

…

Alright, here he is.

Who the hell are you people?

Just as chatty as always. That's our Number One, haha!

Stop joking about me like this, damn it...I'm not going to forget how you treat me and my friends like your little playthings!

Oh, your friends?

What else are they, then?

I'd say...your fellow test subjects?

Arrête d'être méchant!

What did Number Seven just say?

Dunno, I don't speak French.

He told you to stop being mean.

Thank you for your translation, Number One.

Uhg...fuck you.

Terminar ahora, gente estupida!

And thank you for your kind input, Number Three.

Come mierda!

Mei, espera…

Pero yo-

...No sirve de nada…

How smart of you, Number Six.

…

Alright, let's complete the procedure now.

We cleaned all four of them at once. The entire room was filled with such a terrifying noise.

Once we were finished...there wasn't another word from any of them. All of their bodies were limp. Every struggle, every cry...it did nothing to stop us.

The Zepto Installation is finally complete.

…

It's time to make some tweaks to the plan.

* * *

~ Chapter Five, Daily Life Two, End~


	29. The Collapse of Zepto Daily Life 3

I woke up to a pounding sensation in my head. It felt like I was bludgeoned with a sledgehammer or who knows what. I placed my hands over my face, suddenly unable to fight against the urge to start yelling for no comprehensible reason.

That immediately woke up Fraize. He quickly turned to me and moved my hands away to look at me. "Zaki? Zaki, what's wrong?! Hey, hey, hey...I'm here, I'm here…"

I stopped yelling, panting and gasping to breathe. My head felt like it was going to crack open, and I couldn't understand why at all.

Fraize sat us up and had me rest my head against him. He placed a hand onto my forehead to feel my temperature, then moving his hand away to feel his own head. "What is this awful feeling? My head feels like it's burning up...do you feel the same?"

I nodded. "Sorry I...didn't mean to wake you. I feel like I'm about to throw up…"

"Don't do it on me, my friend!" He laughed, playfully pushing me lightly. "Come on, let's go for a walk to the bathroom."

Slipping out of bed and just putting on our shoes, we left the room to walk over to the men's bathroom. We splashed out faces, brushed our teeth, and looked at our reflections in the mirror.

"I feel...weird." I looked down. "Though I can't explain why. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, I wonder...who is the person looking back at me?"

He looked towards me, patting me on my shoulder. "I feel the same sometimes."

I looked over to him, surprised. "Really?"

He looked back to his reflection, nodding. "I sometimes wonder if...it's Fraize or Ramón in the mirror. After all...I could never really get rid of Ramón." He looked back to me. "He's always been a part of me, after all. Maybe when I look in the mirror, it's the only time when I can see him."

I watched him silently for a moment before looking at my own reflection. I started to wonder who was looking back at me. Is it Kozaki? Is it...someone else?

Maybe it's the old me. The me from before I tried to take my life. The me from before Mikanne exited my life. The me from before that damned accident.

The me from when I used to be...happier. And if that's true…

I placed my fingertips to the glass gently, touching his against the barrier. I looked at him in the eyes before I closed mine. "I want to be him."

It felt like for only a moment, the headache subsided.

"Hey, Fraize?" I looked over to the tour guide. "Lately I've been thinking...about my childhood. Quite a lot, too."

"Hmm?" He looked to me. "What about it?"

"I just remember...being happier." I sighed. "And...I want to go back to then. I want to be happier...but in this place? I don't think I ever will be."

He hummed for a moment before patting me on the head. "Maybe instead of wishing to return to the past...you should try to create a better future. One where you'll be the happiest."

That made me smile just a bit. "I see...thank you."

He then smiled at me before chuckling and patting my head some more. "Now then, what's the special occasion here? You've been speaking fluent Spanish all morning. Is this a surprise for me?"

That made me stop and think. "I...have?"

"Mhm." Fraize then played with my ahoge a bit, poking it and patting it. "So, what's the special event then? Are you...taking me out on a date?"

I waved my hands in a flustered manner. "No, no, not at all! I-I mean that's a fun idea b-but that's not why I-" I then felt at my head again. "...You haven't said a single word in Spanish yet."

He then stopped playing with my hair. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you've only been speaking in English." I closed my eyes in concentration. "These headaches…"

…

My body suddenly jolted. I stumbled, quickly grabbing the ledge of the sink and taking in deep breaths.

Fraize quickly moved to support my body. "Hey, hey. Take it easy, alright?"

I looked to him, frowning lightly. "Last night...it happened last night."

"What do you mean last night?" He seemed to be baffled.

"You can't remember, right?" I looked back into the mirror. "They took us last night. And now suddenly we're like this…" I looked down. "Zepto is complete. Now all of us are in the program."

"A-Ah...so that's it…" He pressed his fingers onto his forehead. "Then...what happens now?"

"I don't know…" I squeezed my hands into fists, my body shaking lightly. "I'm...scared."

He pulled me into a hug, trying to reassure me. "Zaki, don't worry. We just have to hold on long enough for help to arrive. You can do that…" He smiled at me, nodding. "Right, my friend?"

"Right." I hugged back for only a moment before stepping away. "Let's go check on Mei and Weise, then. O-Or...even better…" I waved for Fraize to follow me. "You'll see."

Once we got back to his room, I took a seat on the bed and opened up my Bottolet. "I'm calling for a meeting between the four of us tonight. One hour before the night bell."

Fraize watched me, nodding along. "I see, I see…"

"And we'll meet...at the Final Puzzle Room."

Fraize then stopped nodding. "I don't see, I don't see…"

I chuckled lightly, setting down my tablet and looking up. "Don't worry, I'll explain once we get there. Let's go eat now, okay?"

"Alright." He nodded just one more time.

With that, we got dressed and headed out to eat. I decided not to pull up my hood this time, feeling a bit more collected emotionally today.

We sat down together at the dining room table, noticing how it was far less populated than yesterday. In fact, the only ones here were Weise, Kyohi, and Riko. They were all chatting about something, but I didn't want to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Zaki...are you okay?" Fraize gently placed a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

I sighed, shaking my head. "This all feels wrong...everyone coming from all over the world, but speaking perfect English...it's not right... it's not supposed to be like this. It's not natural." I looked over to him. "You shouldn't...have to have a language forced on you like that. It's like...erasing your identity. I-I mean…" I looked down. "You're a tour guide who can speak four languages. Yet...I can't ever hear the other three you speak. All English, all the time...what if it's permanent? What if you lose all the hard work you put into to learn those other languages in the first place? Something that's been a part of your life for maybe years...just...ripped away from you…"

He looked to the side, sighing lightly before poking my forehead. "You know, if you keep frowning like that, it's going to make your face wrinkly when you're older."

"H-Huh?" I looked up, confused.

He shrugged with a smile. "It's pretty terrible, isn't it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Uhh...yeah, it is?"

"Well...you just have to…" He felt at the back of his neck. "Not give it any of your time. It doesn't deserve it."

"So I'm...supposed to just ignore it?" I was baffled.

"Well yes, but...technically no?" He sheepishly grinned. "Just don't let it consume you. Keep your chin up and...show that you're above this."

That caused me to crack a small smile. "You always know the right thing to say, don't you?"

He chuckled. "Why, thank you. A good tour guide has to be ready to answer any questions asked."

"Any questions?" My smile grew.

"Any questions." He showed a dumb, prideful smile.

I leaned in, playfully. "Alright, hot shot. How do we end the killing game?"

He raised an index finger, then looking to the side. "Hmm...that's an excellent question. You see…" He then looked back to me. "We just have to...umm…"

"Well?" I crossed my arms, smugly smiling while waiting for an answer.

"Well…" He sheepishly grinned. "You'll have to wait until we get to the next part of the tour for me to answer that one!"

"Bullshit!" I pushed him playfully while laughing. "The next part of the tour is when we're already on our way home!"

"Okay, okay, you got me!" He laughed.

The others looked over to our direction, whispering among themselves before joining us.

"Good morning." Riko smiled, lightly. "How...was your sleep last night?"

I looked to the side, awkwardly. "Umm...I've had better, that's for sure."

She quickly dropped her positive act to reveal her concerned intentions of speaking with us. "I...do not really understand what this project you are involved in is about, but...I do hope you are unharmed…"

"Haven't died yet." I sighed, playing with my food. "But, at this point...I feel like it doesn't even matter anymore. The only thing that _hasn't_ happened to me yet is tasting the bitterness of death."

"Don't talk like that, Kozaki." Kyohi looked to me, saddened. "The more you do, the more it feels like you...want to die."

I placed my utensils down on the table before feeling the back of my head. "I-I...I apologize, Kyohi. I'm just not sure how much longer I can last here."

"But help is bound to come soon enough." Kyohi pumped a fist, nodding. "That's what Zraiko spent so long on, you know? So you just have to hold on a little longer!"

It made all the sense in the world. I've been fighting for this whole damn time, haven't I? So why stop now? Why not just wait a little longer?

But at the same time, I'm scared. I feel as though the longer things go on like this, the more of those experiments and tests I'll have to endure. By this point I'm wondering what those cultists _haven't_ done to me yet. Maybe tonight they'll leave me alone naked and defenceless against a giant ass grizzly bear, testing to see how long I can survive for before my body is gruesomely dismembered.

To put it bluntly, even if the killing game itself has ended, that doesn't mean killing itself is out of this world. I want to put my complete trust in my friends, but that tiniest hair of fear...it's enough to hold me back.

"Hey, hey." Fraize patted my back with a wide grin. "How many times does it take for repeated things to stick with you?" He then rustled my hair. "Listen to your own advice, Zaki. I feel like if I have to tell you that again, I'll have to start giving out consequences so you actually learn."

"C-Consequences?" I asked nervously.

He playfully nudged me. "I'll hide all of the macaroni and cheese so you can't eat it anymore here."

"That hardly sounds like a threat…" Riko looked to the side, giggling awkwardly.

"This is important, my friend!" Weise pouted. "Food is a very serious matter! Macaroni and cheese for Kozaki could be the greatest food in the world!"

Ah...Weise's French is lost. I feel as though that was what he was talking about with Riko and Kyohi earlier...I wonder how he feels about this.

To be honest, I wonder if Weise would even give it a second thought. He's had to endure some heavy emotional blows against him, but deep down inside...I don't think anything can take away his bubbly outlook on things.

We then looked over upon hearing the sound of knocking on the wall. It was Mei. It seemed as though she was looking to notify us on something.

"Ah, good morning." Riko smiled, politely.

Mei simply shrugged and waved. "Morning."

"Did you come for breakfast?" Kyohi asked, offering her a plate.

"No thank you." The vigilante shook her head. "Just came to let you know, training is after lunch. Come on a full stomach." With that, she simply left without much of a conversation at all.

Mei, too. All of her Spanish...just wiped away. But she seemed fine, completely unbothered.

I feel like...they've all been taking it too well. Am I the only one who even cares at this point? Am I...too paranoid?

Or...could this be something deeper? Something being kept over my head?

It's just not right to me at all, but I can't even explain it besides it feeling out of character for them. While they seem to have developed some sort of awareness, they...seem to be accepting it too well. All three of them.

It just made me want to get to the bottom of this.

And, well...what better time to do that than during our meeting tonight?

* * *

After breakfast, I decided to go for a walk around the Killing Odyssey, not finding any better way to spend my free time. I figured I would find some of my friends to chat with, although I had no one in mind.

Well...that wasn't entirely true. There was someone that I needed to talk to, but...I couldn't bring myself to look for him.

Fraize was walking along with me, humming to himself rather cheerfully. I figured I would ask him for, well...guidance.

"Hey, Fraize?" I turned to look at the tour guide. "Can I...ask you something?"

He shrugged, rather chipperly. "Depends on the question. If you're going to ask me if pineapple belongs on pizza, I'm going to have to say no."

That made me chuckle just a little. "Hehe, that's not quite what I had in mind…" I then glanced to the side. "It's about Mest. I...I still don't know if I can face him. Yesterday's encounter was a fucking disaster...I might just make things even worse…"

He patiently hummed before crossing his arms. "So you're asking for my help?"

"I-If...it's possible." I felt at my right arm. "If you could...come with me…"

He smiled at me and took out his Bottolet. "Well... we'd have to keep things fair, right?"

I sighed, closing my eyes. "I-I guess you have a point…"

"Hmm, hmm…" He put his tablet away and smiled with a nod. "Alright, all set."

"Huh?" I blinked, confusedly. "What's all set?"

"The meeting." He pointed down the hall. "Let's start walking. It's going to be in the library.

I then waved a hand in front of me. "Wait, wait, wait...how did you arrange this so quickly?!"

He felt at his neck, grinning. "Mmh...must be my talent at work."

"Your talent." I squinted my eyes.

He nodded, still grinning. "Ahuh."

I figured the most logical explanation was that Mest was simply available. He...was probably holding out for any opportunity to make amends with me. Yeah...that's probably it. Of course, Fraize isn't the kind of guy to admit something on behalf of someone else like that.

 _His talent._ Come on, Fraize. You and I both know these talents of ours feel...out of place.

The two of us walked over to the second floor of the library. For every step I took, I only felt more anxious. I have to go through with this. I have to apologise for...being a stuck up, petulant teenager with the brain the size of a damn acorn. I didn't give him the chance he deserved because I was too much of a hot head. And, well...I can only hope there's a chance for me to redeem myself.

I slowly took a seat in a chair chair next to Fraize by one of the library's tables. Anxiously, I closed my eyes and leaned back, tapping my fingertips on my thighs. Upon hearing the sound of a door opening, I quickly sat upright to see Mest and Zraiko enter the library. They took a seat together on the couch facing us.

I see...both Mest and I have someone who we can count on to help us talk things through. That must be what Fraize meant about keeping things fair.

Zraiko coughed into his hand before crossing his arms and nodding. "Kozaki, Fraize."

Fraize smiled and nodded back. "Mikanne, Zraiko."

"I believe we have come here with the mutual understanding of the...situation that has been recently going on." The hacker folded his arms over the table. "That being...a certain relationship is in boiling hot water."

I averted my eyes away from Mest in discomfort.

"And so...we're here to clear the air." Fraize smiled. "You guys can talk things through, I'm sure of it."

I slowly looked back to Mest, sighing while feeling my neck. I couldn't think of any words to say.

"So then…" Mest glanced to the side. "I want to...start by setting something straight." He turned back to me. "My family didn't leave for Japan just because of the fire accident. In fact...I don't think it was a reason for the move at all. Dad was planning the move for three years. I guess...it was just terrible timing." He then felt his left wrist. "I didn't know at the time the move was...going to be permanent. I thought it would be just for a year or maybe even two at the most...but...it wasn't until after we were already there when I found out I...may not get to see you again."

I looked to the side, sighing. "You couldn't even...make a call?"

He then shook his head. "I was enrolled in an advanced education program, one where I would have to dorm with other students quite far away from my new home. Some regulations were very strict, causing me to not have very much free time outside of my studies. I didn't get to own my own cell phone until I was sixteen, and...by then I couldn't even remember your phone number." Mest then crossed his arms, closing his eyes. "So, in my free time...I studied design, just like how we talked about when we were kids. I paid for my own art supplies and played around with all sorts of patterns. I thought about future jobs I could take, and...that's when tattoo art slipped into my life."

I then looked back to him. "And...then what?"

He opened his eyes again. "Started as an understudy. I drew up designs based on client's requests and my partner would apply the tattoo. Fayai Kokowa, she and I grew pretty close. Mostly over the love of arts. Even though we were tattoo artists, something pretty taboo in many societies...she held it up to a high respect. Sometimes she would go as far as to say there should be a way to show tattoos in museum exhibits. I guess that's just how prideful she is." He then chuckled awkwardly, sitting up straight. "From her, I...looked inside myself. I started to realize...I was a coward."

Zraiko and Fraize remained silent, acting as though they weren't even there. I glanced downwards, wanting to know more. "You were a coward?"

"I felt like this whole time, I was using designs to run away." He frowned, lightly. "To run away from everything. It was something to distract me. Despite studying for countless hours, despite my incredible grades on test scores...I never felt satisfied by them. I felt like they belonged to a different person, that...the life I was living wasn't for me. You...You were the core of it all. I kept thinking about you, how you wanted to be an adventurer. I thought...you must be so brave and fearless...to not have any clue where you're going in life, but being thrilled by that very unknown." He showed a faint smile. "And so I selfishly used that mentality to turn to tattoo art. I used that to change all of my gears to study art instead of what a secure future of science would give me. I threw myself off the deep end...but…" He looked me in the eyes. "Maybe there's a chance I might land in a surprisingly welcoming place."

I closed my eyes to process his story. For the first time...this really felt like Mikanne speaking to me. This really felt like the mask was gone. All of his vulnerabilities are out in the open to me...this is really him, isn't it?

…

I looked up, saddened. "This whole time...you looked up to me?"

He slowly nodded.

I couldn't help but cover my face and laugh. "Me? Brave? Fearless…? Someone like me…?"

"Well...why wouldn't you be?" He seemed to be worried by my response.

"Would someone brave and fearless...jump off the roof of their highschool because they couldn't find the will to continue living on with a criminal record that only spiraled them further into the ground?" I felt my body start to shake from the emotional trauma. "Would someone...brave and fearless...hurt so many people over and over again? Just because they needed to feel that _fire_ , because they needed some way to feel alive?" I slowly looked up. "I'm...not brave at all. I'm the real coward here…"

Fraize slowly took one of my hands and squeezed it, silently.

I took a few deep breaths, looking down. "Since the day you left me, I don't think my life has ever been the same. I lost my best friend and constantly blamed myself for it. I beat myself up every day, harder than anyone else would. I tore myself up to pieces, and let me make it clear...it's nobody's fault but my own…" I leaned back in my chair. "I kept telling myself...he's never going to come back. Just move on. Stop doing this to yourself." I let out a sigh. "But...I never could let it go...and it only strangled me tighter."

A short silence.

"Kozaki…" He reached across the table, over to me. "Please...let's be friends again, if not best friends."

I slowly took his hand and squeezed it, my voice finally cracking. "Damn it, Mikanne...damn it all! I missed you!"

He smiled lightly, squeezing my hand back. "I missed you, too."

I took some time to calm myself down, wiping tears from my eyes. "I want to be friends again, too…"

He stood us up in order to give me a firm hug. He patted my back, allowing me to collapse against him and release all my bottled up emotions from the past nine years.

I felt all the pain release from me. It was a release all those fires could never give me. For the first time...I felt like I no longer needed to feel that sensation of heat against my skin.

I felt like...I finally broke free from the vicious cycle of arsonism I was trapped in for so long.

...

After calming down, I sat back into my seat feeling more relaxed.

"So, Kozaki…" He chuckled, glancing from me to Fraize. "When did you come out from the closet?"

Embarrassed, I looked down. "W-Well...it's a long story. And...not a very good story, either."

"Did you...not feel any support?" He asked, worriedly.

I glanced over to Fraize, forcing a chuckle. "W-Well...I guess now my parents know. To be honest...I never saw myself even being in a relationship. So I just...sort of pushed it away."

"I see…" He nodded, slowly.

"So...what's the story with you and Zraiko?" I couldn't help but grin. "It's not like I'm going to forget how you guys have been hanging around closely together this whole time."

"Oh, no." The hacker shook his head. "I assure you, we're not in a relationship."

Fraize laughed, lightly. "A friendship nonetheless."

We all then simultaneously received notifications from our Bottolets. It was from Mei, reminding us to come to train after lunch.

"Guess we should...get a bite to eat, huh?" I awkwardly smiled, looking to the side.

Fraize stood up, feeling his neck. "If it is alright, I'd actually prefer to eat later. I'll just be...in the arcade."

That's right. He doesn't have to worry about eating now since he won't be participating.

"O-Oh, okay." I nodded. "See you later."

With that,the tour guide waved to us and stepped out from the library.

Just before I headed out to get something to eat, I was stopped by Mikanne. "Kozaki, wait a moment."

I turned over to him, blinking. "Y-Yeah?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out my necklace. He then slowly reached over to my neck and put it on for me, smiling lightly. "Without your necklace on, it just doesn't feel like you."

I smiled in return. "I guess I _ha_ ve been wearing it a lot…" My eyes trailed down to his left wrist. I let out a sigh. "It's too bad your bracelet is gone...maybe I'll have to make another one."

He shook his head. "Don't worry, I'll find it. If those cultists took it, there's probably a reason."

"A reason to take a little string bracelet?" I chuckled. "You can't even buy a piece of chocolate with it."

"I'm not talking about monetary value…" He crossed his arms. "...Remember when I told you to watch out for yourself?"

I nodded, slowly. "Ahuh…"

He pressed his index finger to his temple. "There are a lot of...connections here. I wonder what we will uncover once all the loose ends meet…"

I blinked, tilting my head. Then, I simply let out a short laugh. "You don't have to keep talking like Mest now. All mysterious and stuff. Just...be yourself."

He cracked a smile. "Alright…"

With that, we headed off to lunch.

* * *

Lunch went surprisingly smoothly considering how I had only just made amends with Mikanne. We took some time to chat about ourselves and how life has been going before finishing up and walking to Mei's Shift Room. We trained together, although neither of us seemed to be at our best. I think it was because of how emotional we were at the moment. Finally being reunited with your childhood friend you haven't seen in so long...I think anyone would be a little...distracted.

After three hours, give or take, Mei dismissed us from her room. We were all starting to disperse throughout the Killing Odyssey when a familiar beeping sound rang out through all our Bottolets.

Monobotto is calling for a meeting at the Grand Staircase.

Thus, we all gathered unwillingly. It's going to be bad news for us. There's no doubt about it. They won't let us off easy.

"Thank-you-clowns-for-coming-so-quickly." The bucket of bolts seemed to be pleased. "Your-little-banter-about-escaping-will-soon-prove-to-be-all-but-meaningful. I-can-assure-you-all-the-game-is-not-over-yet."

We all groaned. At this point, we were all more annoyed by Monobotto than afraid of it.

"To-continue-with-our-regularly-scheduled-programming…" Monobotto spun around. "It-is-time-for-your-next-motive-!"

The motive...I should've expected this. Of course Monobotto and those cultist freaks aren't going to just give up and let us leave. They'll do anything they can to have the game to continue. They need it to.

All I know is...no matter what this is, we can't let this drive us into murder. I don't give a shit what secrets get revealed at this point. I don't think I'd even be shaken if it turned out that one of my friends was a fucking member of the mafia out on a hit!

Well...maybe that's not the best example I can give. But, the point is...I'm tired of being humiliated by this killing game time and time again.

And yet every time I say it's the end, it never actually ends. Every time I declare never again, it happens. A death happens, a trial is held, an execution, and the game continues. Over and over and over, the cycle continues to spiral all of us in this carousel of insanity until one by one we all bite the bitter dust.

But isn't the cycle starting to break? There was no execution.

Maybe it was only a one time thing.

Don't say that. It's going to be okay, alright? If you let yourself fall into that mindset, then you'll only set yourself up for failure.

But I…

No, stop. If you stop believing, even for a moment…

…

We need to face this motive head-on. Alright, let me have it then!

"Here-you-all-are-!" Monobotto spun around before suddenly spewing out sheets of papers into the air.

I reached over to pick up the nearest sheet, then fixing the paper and reading it. " _Danganronpa: Retribution of the Abyss!"_ I then blinked, reading more on the sheet. "Season 38 cast…" I found myself with a wall of names I couldn't recognize. I continued to scan over the paper before reaching the end. "Protagonist: Takumi Otomaeda. Cast members...Sole survivor...Erito Hajimoto...what?"

This caught the curiosity of everyone else. They all surrounded me and the paper with different reactions to share.

"Wait, wait…" Kyohi gulped. "Erito Hajimoto? As in... _the mastermind Erito Hajimoto?"_

I then read further into it. "Erito Hajimoto is the ninth ever Blackened to win the killing game. He held the title of the Super-Highschool-Level Psychologist, having quite the fascination with experimental psychology. After murdering his closest confidant Tsubomi Nono with her own collaboration, he framed it as a suicide and suceeded in decieving his fellow classmates. With that, Takumi Otomaeda, Katiaka Soukizan, and Rindou Kasaguya...were executed."

Not only was that short summary of the game was written, but the entire death order of the season was noted. All of the students and their talents also given.

Riko gulped, holding her hands together. "How most unfortunate...the mastermind survived…"

"No, that's not it." Zraiko pointed to the paper. "Look at this...Erito was just a participant in the game. The mastermind was...whoever this Rindou person was."

"Erito was able to outsmart the mastermind of his own game?" Kyohi asked. "But...I thought the mastermind oversees everything…"

Mei crossed her arms. "Then Erito must've pulled a perfect crime...one that not even the mastermind was able to detect. It just goes to show…" She frowned, bitterly. "What kind of person we are dealing with is."

Erito Hajimoto...a surviving blackened now turned mastermind. But why? What good does that even do him?

"Umm, I am confused…" Weise puffed his cheeks. "This...evil game show. All of the participants are adolescents, right? Then…" He looked away. "How old is Erito now?"

Mikanne scratched his head. "Probably in his late thirties or early forties…"

Mei then spat on the ground. "This current game is one _hell_ of a midlife crisis for him, then."

"I think this further confirms…" Zraiko nodded. "That none of us are the mastermind. Unless anyone wants to come forward saying they are forty years old, I believe all of us are too young to match Erito's profile."

That's good to hear, at the very least. It further reinstates that Erito is among the cultists here. However...that only reminded me of how unreachable Erito seems to be.

I sighed, shaking my head lightly as I scanned through the paper more. "For winning as the blackened, Erito was offered a job at _Team Danganronpa._ He accepted this, as well as the prize money worth up to one hundred million yen…"

"A hundred million yen?" Zraiko asked, as if to confirm.

Fraize was visibly uncomfortable. "There's _prize money?_ "

"That's what it says…" I gulped.

Mei then took the paper from me and read through it with her own eyes. "Hmm, I wonder what kick he gets from this. Because, _ooooh_ I promise...he's going to have seven kicks across the ass when I find him."

"I-I do have to agree." Riko waved a hand, lightly. "Not the kicking part. I mean...why would Erito do this? He already has great wealth, correct? What else could he need?"

"Entertainment." The vigilante spat on the ground.

"This is not entertaining at all." Weise pouted. "It's like a horror movie! I'll have you know, there are no horror films allowed in the Vayrne household!" He twiddled his fingers. "They're too scary…I had to get my parents to ban them on all of our channels…"

I looked over and picked up another sheet of paper. " _Danganronpa: Killing Harmony."_

I proceeded to read the contents of the page silently to myself. All of the details felt as though they were knocking on my skull to come inside my head. It was so...familiar. It felt as though I already knew everything I would see on the page.

That was until...it got to the end.

Survivors: Shuichi Saihara, Maki Harukawa, and Himiko Yumeno.

That made everything click.

This was the last season of _Danganronpa_. And yet...this sheet of paper contained information not even the public knew. Survivors...there were survivors. This whole time we were all lead to believe they all perished in the destruction of the _Academy for Gifted Juveniles_.

But no...they somehow made it out. And not only that, they were completely off the grid.

So then...how does this motive have this information? How does the cult know about their status of being alive? Unless...the cult is really comprised of ex-employees…

No, that can't be right. Uncle Haiji said this cult was completely separate from _Team Danganronpa_.

He could just be lying to me…

I clenched my fist, looking down and frowning. No, he can't be lying. I won't believe it. Even if it's stupid to believe it...I'm too exhausted from having my life torn apart to try and fight back.

I need to get to the bottom of this. There's a reason these sheets of paper, which I figure are all documentations of each of the previous seasons, are being presented to us as motives. Something about these pages will cause us to clash.

I'm...worried to find out how and why.

"Guys...look at this." Kyohi turned to us as he nervously showed a sheet of paper. He handed it to me, then looking away with discomfort.

I took a look at the sheet of paper, clutching it lightly. " _Let's Danganronpa, Our Despair Odyssey."_

The others all gathered behind me, peering at the sheet of paper.

"Protagonist, Kozaki Daisuke." That left a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm the one people are having eyes on, huh?

Not only that, but Erito has been sure to constantly remind me of how 'entertaining' I am to him. So then...I really am the protagonist of this whole acid trip? Ahoge checks out. Entertaining individual people would invest their time in? Well, I did apparently have bags upon bags of fan mail.

Uhg. I don't know and I don't care. There is no protagonist here. We're all equally people. No one is more 'important' than another. We're all...equally just struggling to survive this game.

"Survivors remaining: Kozaki Daisuke, Mei Jiana, Fraize Kimizai, Weise Vayrne, Riko Hamoizumi, Kyohi Hayai, Zraiko Nikiroi, and Mikanne Aiyaga."

"Wait a second…" The vigilante frowned, squinting her eyes. " _Daisuke_ is the protagonist? I didn't agree to this."

"Umm, pardon me, but…" Riko shyly raised her hand. "Perhaps it is because we assigned him as our leader?"

That only seemed to bother Mei more. "I thought I said I didn't agree to that, either."

I sighed and shook my head, just wanting to ignore the whole matter.

There was a lot of other information on this sheet of paper. A reminder of the order the others all died, what the motives were to their cases...and I realized something quite interesting.

"I...feel like there's more of a connection to our game than just Erito." I looked to the side. "Neizami...her last name was Otomaeda, right? And...if you look back to that other sheet…"

Riko gently handed the sheet over to me. "Takumi Otomaeda...could it be they are from the same family?"

" _Danganronpa_ wasn't always open to an international audience." Mikanne crossed his arms. "If I recall correctly...the killing game participants were, the show then broadcasted globally. That means Takumi had to have been a Japanese cast members must've been Japanese citizens It was only until later into the show's production where it became broadcasted globally."

"Neizami was from South Korea…" Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "That's not far from Japan. Maybe her family came from Japan and moved there?"

Zraiko adjusted his glasses, critically. "However, Otomaeda isn't a surname exclusive to Neizami's family. A lot of other people could have it."

"But...if Erito Hajimoto is there, maybe there is more to it?" Weise puffed his cheeks in thought. "Maybe...Neizami was a participant that Erito picked...because she was related to this other person he knew?"

I smiled at Weise, patting his head. "Good thinking, Weise. I agree with you." I then looked around to the others. "In this place, I say there's no such thing as a coincidence." I gave a determined nod. "We need to read all of these papers now. We could find more evidence to show there's more to our killing game than what meets the eye."

And so, we continued to examine the other scattered pages. It felt for the longest time that our search would be fruitless. That was until...we started to find more names.

It only helped to support my theory...that we were all selected to participate in this killing game for a reason. That we weren't just random teens kidnapped from off the streets. That...there's something very _important_ about us.

"Look at these names…" Mikanne pointed towards several different pages. "Edachi Erotomi, season 29. Title of Super-Highschool-Level Mariner. Then, Kenakou Otonori. Season 29 again. Title of Super-Highschool-Level Filmmaker." He pressed his index finger to his temple in thought. "From the same season…"

Those two individuals shared last names with Yuuta and Soro. Not only that, but their talents were similar as well.

That only confirmed that this was no coincidence at all.

"Tell me what happened in that season." I requested.

He nodded, looking back to the paper. "Both Edachi and Kenakou survived that game, along with two other individuals. The game ended with the execution of the mastermind."

I scratched the back of my head, deep in thought. "Could it be that...their families all moved out of Japan to get away from _Danganronpa?_ I mean...Neizami was from South Korea. Yuuta was from Greece, and Soro was from Canada. Yet all of them have Japanese names, right?"

"Let's continue our digging." Zraiko nodded, seeming as though he was agreeing with my theory.

Well, we continued to dig for quite some time. We looked through every sheet of paper together, finding even more interesting namess. Another person with the last name of Raiyne, someone with Makora, Kimidori…

To say we were taking these findings well was an understatement. It was as though we were all unraveling a great conspiracy, one that we all may have been tied to. Could it be that…we're _all_ connected to _Danganronpa_ in some way?

I can at least confirm it for myself, thanks to Uncle Haiji. Mikanne could be here because of me. After all, we both got addicted to the drug that was that very show. Everyone here...must have some sort of reason.

The clarinetist was especially uneasy due to these pages. "Perhaps we should not continue this search…"

"What do you mean, Hamoizumi?" Mei turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"This is far too important for us to ignore." Zraiko continued to scan through papers. "Why do you think we should stop? Every bit of information counts."

"It is just...I worry. This is meant to be a motive, correct?" She held her hands together, gulping. "What if a piece of information uncovered...drives someone to commit an act of killing?"

The hacker was rather dismissive. "We all know help will be here at any time soon. There's nothing to gain from another murder. We should be just fine."

"While I do appreciate your...confidence in our group…" Riko looked down. "I cannot help but still worry. Monobotto and those cultists will not simply stand by. Their objective will still be to continue the show, regardless of help coming our way…"

Mikanne then walked over to her, patting her back gently. "You should go get some rest, Riko."

"Ah?" She seemed to be rather surprised.

Mikanne nodded, showing her a reassuring smile. "We'll take care of things here. Nobody's going to hurt anyone, alright?"

The clarinetist looked down, holding her fedora. "Oh...I see."

"Riko?" I turned to her, worriedly. "Are you...okay?"

"If it is alright...please excuse me…" She put her fedora back on, nodding. She then headed away to her dorm room, hoping to rest and push the papers out from her mind.

…

I need to go talk to her, but...I've already made plans for tonight. She can't just be left alone like this, though.

We all started to hand the papers to Mei. The vigilante said that we needed to take a break, and I believe this was a response to Riko's exit. While we were all gathering the scattered pages, I turned to my helpful assistant. "Hey, got a minute?"

"What do you need, Kozaki?" Kyohi turned to me as he scooped up more papers.

"Can you go see Riko for me, please?" I gulped, feeling my right arm. "I know it's pretty shitty of me to send someone on my behalf, but I already made plans tonight to have an emergency meeting with the other Zepto students, so…"

"I think I get it." He nodded, showing a supportive smile. "And I'm sure Riko will understand, too."

"Hehe, thanks Kyohi." I nodded to him. "I knew I could count on you."

With that, the hockey player headed off to the dorms.

After taking the time to finish gathering the pages, I started to walk over to probably the most disliked place in the entire Killing Odyssey: The Puzzle Room.

It's time that we get to the bottom of what this 'task' we were going to complete is. Not only that, but I'd like to find some other answers about this whole program and what's happening to us.

…

Alright. Time to conduct my own investigation.

* * *

I walked through the tunnels of the Final Puzzle Room, then stopping at the center of the room and looking around. It gave off a creeping sense of dread, a deep anxiety on what would be uncovered. I took a seat on the floor, just examining the entire surrounding area.

Not too long after my arrival, the other three came into the room. They all seemed to be very uncomfortable in being here.

"T-Thanks for coming, guys." I stood up, feeling my right arm. "I...hope this won't take up too much of your time."

"Just make it quick, Daisuke." Mei tapped her foot to the ground. "We might die here if we stay for too long."

Weise whimpered in response. "I-I don't want to stay here at all...it's scary…"

I sighed, feeling the back of my head. "I understand that. I promise, this will be quick."

They all uneasily exchanged glances before looking back to me.

"I want to know what the purpose of this place is." I walked over to one of the chairs attached to the large machine. "What Sayino did...I feel like it's a sign of something. We were all restrained in those chairs with knives planted on us. It's like she knew that it would be better for us to die than have us participate in this task."

"But...the task is...sitting in these chairs?" Fraize felt at his neck in confusion.

"It has to have something to do with this machine." I walked around it. "Something was going to happen once we all sat down. If it wasn't for Sayino taking her life...who knows what would've happened to all of us? There's no answers anywhere...a complete shot in the dark."

Weise walked around the area, spinning himself around to try and scope out everything. However, it seemed it was all too complicated for him to understand. He ended up giving out a theory straight out of a sci-fi movie. "What if...the machine turns us into robots?!"

"Into robots?" Fraize blinked. "Is that even possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" He pouted.

"Vayrne has a point." Mei leaned against the wall. "Memory wiping and implanting, forced translation, a robot that terrorizes all of us, outrageous executions…anything can happen at this point."

The tour guide chuckled, nervously. "When you put it like that…"

An awkward silence.

"So then...I guess the other important question we need to address is…" Mei looked to the side. "What made us the five Zepto students."

"Because the cultists all liked us?" Weise tilted his head to the side.

Fraize scratched the back of his head. "I think there's more to it than that, my friend."

"Come on...we need to put our brains together." I sat down on the floor once more, feeling my head. "Something that we all had in common that put us into the program. It can't be a coincidence…"

Weise sat down, twiddling his fingers. "Umm...well...there is something that has been bothering me since I first woke up here."

I looked over to him. "What is it?"

He puffed his cheeks lightly, looking to the side. "My talent…"

This got me quite interested. "Your talent?"

He nodded. "I...don't doubt that I am a great fashion designer, or...I'd like to believe it as such, but…" He turned back to me. "I'm...technically not in highschool. I'm in a special schooling program with private teachers that my father organized for my personal education. I don't have any official registration to a school district. So…" He blinked. "It was confusing to see I am a... _Super-Highschool-Level_."

That...That caused something to resonate within me. "I...I also have been feeling weird about my talent."

Mei and Fraize took a seat on the floor next to us to join in the conversation.

I felt the back of my head. "I did attend highschool once, but...when I was taken I had already dropped out for over a year...the _Super-Highschool-Level_ stuff...it bothers me, too."

Fraize looked up as though he had realized something. "That was also a problem for me. I'm not in schooling either. Almost ever since I moved to Barcelona, I haven't had an education. It would always be whatever my mother could teach me, but that definitely didn't have any official grounds." He shrugged. "So...I also seem to fit this pattern."

Mei crossed her arms. "Can't have an education when your home is consumed by civil war. I had an active role, so...never had any time to sit down and try to bother learning about trigonometry or whatever the hell schools teach."

"Then...how would Sayino fit this pattern?" Weise asked, tilting his head lightly.

I nodded. "Remember that motive letter Kyohi got from her? It revealed how she used to be a law student before she dropped out. That means she also wouldn't have been in highschool. She...was a first year university law student."

Fraize then rubbed his neck lightly. "So because all five of us had these contradictions to the Zepto program...the downloads weren't complete. It caused errors in us. And so…" He looked down. "They experimented on us. Testing for violent responses, treating us like specimens to be studied...playing with our lives…and for what?"

Mei grumbled. "For entertainment."

I shook my head. "I don't think it's quite that simple. There seems to be more to the story, but…" I sighed. "As of now...it looks like we won't be able to have the full story."

A short silence.

"Umm...I have a question." Weise politely raised his hand. "About the riddle...is it true?"

I turned to the fashion designer. "What do you mean?"

He gulped, looking slightly pale. "If...the four of us die...Riko, Kyohi, Mikanne, and Zraiko will escape?"

Mei frowned. "I'm not willing to make this exchange."

Weise looked up. "But...we don't know what's going to happen. What if we just keep...killing and killing and killing?" He teared up. "If...giving up my life means nobody else has to suffer, then…"

I patted Weise on the head, gently. "Buddy, don't talk like this. Okay?"

Weise looked up to me, biting his lip.

"We're not going to give up our lives for whatever task or who knows. In fact, for all we know, that riddle could be expired by now." I forced a smile. "We're all going to escape any day now, so please...no more sacrifices."

Weise showed me a small smile, it seemed as though he was feeling reassured. "Thank you, my friend."

"I think that wraps up our meeting." Mei stood up, nodding. "Goodnight to you all, and see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mei." I waved to the vigilante, then watching her exit.

The remaining three of us then stood up. Weise didn't want to walk back to his room alone, as he was scared of walking outside after dark. Night bell had just rung when we stepped out from the Final Puzzle Room, so we were sure to hold his hands and lead him back to his room. He wished us a goodnight before slipping inside his dorm, to which Fraize and I then headed up the Grand Staircase to reach our own room.

* * *

Once we reached Fraize's dorm room, I felt just about ready to go to sleep. Nobody's going to have any motivation to kill, so I can rest with a clear head for once.

"Umm, Zaki?" Fraize looked to the side, scratching his head. "Remember how I was out today during Mei's training?"

"Oh, yeah." I nodded, turning to the tour guide. "Because you didn't want to participate. What about it?"

He gulped. "Well...I went to the arcade to distract myself and...I won a few prizes."

"Oh?" I smiled. "By any chance, did you win a plushy shark by the name of Chompy?'

He blushed lightly, chuckling and shaking his head. "Hehe, no. One prize in particular is...actually quite interesting. Come take a look at this."

I walked over to Fraize's desk to look at the contents of his arcade prize. It was an envelope of some kind with...hearts on it.

"What is it?" I asked, confused.

He opened the envelope and took out a letter. "Let's find out…"

 _'Congratulations! You've won the top prize of the Love Love Dance Machine!'_

I had to stop myself from bursting out into laughter. "The _haha-hwhuat?!"_

He looked to the side, embarrassed. "I had to do something to keep my body active. What? Was I supposed to go to my Shift Room to take myself on a tour?"

I chuckled, sighing. "No, I guess not."

 _'Take this card key to any of the student Shift Rooms in order to unlock the Suite of Intertwined Souls! A special get-away place for you and any student of your choice filled with a luxurious living and loving space! You will be completely free from any disturbances and not a single camera will be taking a peak! Now, don't have too much fun!'_

I didn't fully understand what this so-called 'Suite of Intertwined Souls' was supposed to be, but...it would be a shame to waste the top prize from _Love Love Dance Machine_ or whatever that game was.

"Umm...I wasn't expecting this." Fraize nervously chuckled, moving to drop the letter in the trash.

I quickly stopped him. "Wait, wait...it would be a shame to waste your prize." I then smiled. "After all...you worked _soooo_ hard to get it."

He sighed. "But…"

"No buts." I picked out the card key from the envelope and handed it to the tour guide. "Come on. The local tour guide needs to show me the best hotel in town."

He blinked as he took the key, then chuckling. "Don't you say that ever again, Zaki."

"Alright." I chuckled as well, recognizing the complete lack of humor in my shitty attempt at a joke.

After brushing our teeth and grabbing our pajamas, we walked over to the student Shift Rooms. Fraize swiped in the card key on the scanner and…

 _ **Click!**_

Fraize slowly opened the door. "Here we are…"

The entire room hit us with a scent of roses in the air. There was a bed full of fluffy pillows, a jacuzzi in the corner, a giant TV screen against the wall, and a special closet with glitter all over the doors.

"What...the hell is this?" I asked as I stepped inside.

Fraize slowly closed the door, locking it. "I hope this is going to be one of those things we'll never speak of in front of the others…"

"Is it giving you vibes?" I teased him.

He took a seat on the bed, looking around. "Well, yes actually."

"Pfft." I walked over to the closet door, opening it. "It can't be that baaaaa…"

The closet was filled with explicit clothes. I closed the door immediately with my face growing bright red. "Forget what I said."

He then awkwardly chuckled. "Should've known…"

"Well, whatever." I plopped down onto the bed, smiling. "We're just here to relax and get a good night's sleep. So…" I prepared to change into my pajamas.

Fraize looked to me. "Wait, please."

I looked over to him, pausing. "What is it?"

He sheepishly grinned. "I...sort of wanted to check out the jacuzzi."

That made me laugh lightly in response. "There's no swimsuits here, so you won't be able to dip in far unless you go in your birthday suit."

He then looked to the side. "Hehe...I guess you're right…"

A short awkward silence.

"T-The more I look around…" He gulped. "The more _things_ I see. It's a little scary."

"I'm...going to have to agree with you on that one. But…" I laid down on the bed. "It is nicer than our small, crummy dorms."

"Hehe, I'll agree with you on that one." Fraize laid down as well. "I guess it's...time for bed. Hopefully it'll be the best sleep I've ever had here. Otherwise, I'm going to demand a refund."

I cracked a smile before looking upwards. "Hey...can I ask you something?"

He looked over to me. "Hmm?"

"When we get out of here…" I turned to him. "How will we continue being together? After all, you and I live on different continents. Not to mention...I wouldn't want to have a falling out because of a dying long distance relationship…"

Fraize closed his eyes for a moment to think. "I...haven't put much thought into it. Mostly I've just been worried about getting out of here. I...haven't planned for what happens next."

I then smiled, lightly. "Well...maybe now's a good time to do it. So, then...neither of us have that much money, do we? How can we stay together?"

He looked to the side. "Our apartment is mostly being paid for by the community to safehouse my family...I don't know if you could stay for long."

"Would you...ever come to America to live with me?" I smiled. "You know...they always talk about the American dream, don't they?"

He chuckled, sitting up. "Sounds like a fairy tail. I...might consider it, but...I don't want to leave my family behind like this."

"Then...you _all_ should move to America." I smiled. "Way far away from your past. Then you can really start fresh and new, right?"

He sighed. "I'm the only one who can speak fluent English. Annette knows how to hold a conversation, but other than that...my mother and siblings know only Spanish. You know how America is. We'd have to live somewhere very urban and expensive in order to get away with not knowing English. And...you live in a very rural town."

"Then I'll move." I insisted, determined.

"Zaki…" He looked down. "I...I don't know how this will work…"

I closed my eyes for a moment before taking his hands. "Then let's make sure every moment we have together now counts. Okay?"

He smiled, lightly. "Okay."

I looked around the entire room, growing nervous. "So...So then... let's start here. We'll make the most of this crazy ass prize you won."

"Umm…" He tilted his head, lightly. "What are you implying?"

I gave him a confident nod. "Let's have some fun together while it lasts."

* * *

~Chapter Five, Daily Life Three, End~


	30. The Collapse of Zepto Daily Life 4

**Plep, plep.**

 **Tik tak, tik tak.**

 **Beep, beep.**

 **Tik tak tik tak.**

"What does it look like?"

 **Tikka takka, tikka takka.**

"Not good, I don't know what's going on."

"How is he?"

"Look for yourself."

 **Tap, tap, tap.**

 **Beep, beep.**

…

Something feels cold...and slimy. I feel it pressing against my chest, over my heart. It's rolling around a little.

I don't like it.

"...I see."

"Erito was mentioning how ill he's been feeling lately."

"Is it because of all those doses?"

"It seems to be most likely. We've been giving him so much, I think it's starting to take a toll."

"All those hallucinations...at this rate, he's going to just drop dead."

I felt the pressure release, though I still felt pretty cold.

"Let's give a dose of the neutralizer to help clear it out. Otherwise, when he goes to get cleaned...well, it certainly won't turn out well."

"Alright."

...

Feels cold...I'm shivering, it's getting hard to breathe…

Stop, stop...stop it…

"Stop it!"

I sat up, clutching my chest with one hand and reaching out with my other. I felt like throwing up, the rapid shift in balance probably the biggest reason. My reaching hand quickly moved to my mouth before I puked my guts out.

"What the hell?"

"This is new…."

"Document this. Where's your camera?"

"We're not supposed to take pictures, fool. You remember the agreement."

"Forget the agreement, Erito needs to know about this immediately."

I looked downwards at myself, not paying any attention to the other strangers in the room. My top layers were all gone, leaving my chest exposed to the frigid air conditioned room. There were suction cups with wires clipped onto them placed symmetrically, and I could see traces of some kind of gel that had yet to be wiped off.

What were they doing?

 **Click.**

I looked back upwards to see a light flash in my eyes. Instinctively, I covered my face.

"You think we went too far?"

"We're going to get killed for this."

"What are we going to do?"

 **Slam.**

"I'm here. What did you need me to see?"

"U-Umm...just have a look for yourself, Erito."

…

"What the hell is going on…?"

"We don't know, sir…"

I took a close look at Erito's face. It kept shifting and fading, I couldn't focus on it at all. I could see black hair, a white coat, glasses...but not much else.

"What is this? Hello? Any ideas at all?"

"We don't know. It could be one, the other, both…"

He reached over to me and pressed his fingertips against my forehead, brushing away my bangs. He looked me in the eyes and asked me, "Are you…?"

…

I didn't know what he was looking for. I watched as he backed away, then turning to the side and thinking. He then asked me, "If a drinking glass has fifty percent of its volume occupied by water, what would you say?"

I looked back up, raising an eyebrow.

"Just answer the question."

Averting my eyes, I shrugged. "It's half full."

There was a short silence before he stood up proper and turned away. "I need all of the staff to assemble at the atrium, immediately."

"What about the boy?"

He turned back to me for a moment before turning away once more and heading to the door. "Do not give him another damn dose. Clean him for tonight, then I have to speak with Erito."

I didn't understand what was happening. I looked around as the other people grabbed me, they started to walk me away from the room to somewhere else. Everything was only getting dizzier and dizzier. I felt my legs give away.

Before I passed out...I saw in my reflection what was worrying them all so much.

…

Eyes.

* * *

My eyes slowly opened in response to hearing the morning bell. I have been trying to get into the habit of going to sleep and waking up on time, though...I don't think it's made any difference in how tired I am.

On time? But there is no way to tell the time here. There's no time zone, isn't there? Or maybe the time zone is Space-stern Standard.

Well, I lied. There is a way to tell the time. The Bottolets say the hour here.

But...the sun never rises or sets. We don't even get to see the sun at all, unless we go to that observatory. Though...who would ever want to go to that damned place?

This place is like a time capsule. How many days, months, or even years have gone by back home?

Uhg...I need to go back to sleep…

…

I sat up slowly from the bed, noticing Fraize wasn't there. Guess he went to go eat breakfast, not wanting to disturb me.

Geez...how long has it been since our call for help?

I walked over to the desk to check the tally marks we've been leaving on a pinned sheet of paper. How long has it been, how long has it been…?

...Oh?

Three weeks, already?

Three weeks since Sayino was killed, three weeks of self defense training, three weeks of…

Not a lot, to be honest. The cycle of the killing game has been replaced by something much more...mundane.

Wake up, eat, free time, eat, free time, eat, free time, sleep. Rinse and repeat. I mean, there's also brushing my teeth and taking a shower, and...honestly nothing very important to note.

Monobotto hasn't been too thrilled. It recently started rolling around the entire Killing Odyssey as some sort of security guard, watching and waiting. It can't force us to murder, so it seems to have resorted to jumpscaring us for entertainment. One time Weise was walking to the dining room with a plate full of crepes while chatting with Riko about cats and how fluffy they are. I was walking by with Zraiko, trying to get to know the hacker better. I think he was telling me about this new anime he got into about stones or something. Stone people? Eh, I told him I'd take a look.

Well, the bucket of bolts popped out from behind a corner and extended out all of its robotty arms with little needles sticking out. Weise's face turned pale and he dropped his plate all over the floor before bursting into tears and running away. The clarinetist would quickly follow behind.

Speaking of Riko, Kyohi has been keeping me updated on her. When she first had to excuse herself, she expressed to him her anxieties of the game continuing. Not wanting to lose another friend...she has always been so caring about all of us, hasn't she?

I've tried to save time to spend time with her one on one. Whenever we could, we would go to the garden together. She would play the clarinet or even sing, and I would be there to listen to her music. It...has an incredible soothing ability, when I think about it. Lately she has started to build up confidence in her abilities, though I believe the credit goes to Weise on that. Something about an artist needing to take pride in their own work in order to deliver it without regrets. Well...it sounds more like something his mentor had said to him at one point rather than him sharing a philosophy he had created.

And yes, Kyohi and Riko have started to spend more time together as well. Sayino's death really impacted Kyohi, as I've noticed he has had instances of snapping or having violent outbursts that he wouldn't have when I first met him. It seems Riko is trying to provide some sort of musical therapy to help him keep calm and find peace. From what I've seen, Kyohi has been doing much better in the emotional department.

Oh, now that I think about it, I've been spending more time with Mikanne. He gave me another one of those tattoos, this time to remember Sayino. We talked about...well...the things you would talk about with someone you haven't seen in nine years. What's been up? How are you doing? Excited to see anything? Is your favorite food still pizza? Just...banter, really. But it was time for us to bond, nonetheless.

Sometimes we would talk about more serious things. He would tell me about things he noticed that weren't quite right. The hidden room in the library is no longer exclusively accessible to Monobotto. Anyone can go inside and look, but what's the point?

Apparently there are lights installed into it now so it isn't completely dark, but the lights aren't standard white ones. They're black lights, probably to maintain the...foreboding atmosphere.

Mikanne has been having problems with staying true to himself. There are instances where he acts like he is Mest, something that bothers him. He would say it's not a habit that he needs to break. He would say...Mest was artificially created in him. That it's something he can't control on his own. When I asked him why, he said it's one of the things he still isn't allowed to tell me, but to just bear with him. It's something to do with the cult.

Hmm...now that I think about it, Mikanne and Mei have been starting to spend quite a lot of time together, specifically in the library. When I asked about what they were doing, Mikanne told me they'll tell us all once they have enough information.

Information on what? By the sound of it, they could be reading every last book in that place.

Well, besides that, Mei has started to sit down and eat with us all for every meal. Sometimes she would even join in conversations. Sometimes...she would smile. She has a very nice smile, so when she shows it on those rare occasions, it means a lot more.

Mei has also been trying to start calling everyone on a first name basis, dropping the formalities. It's like she's finally willing to open up, that she recognizes us as her friends. That really makes me happy for her.

Sometimes Mei would talk to me in private in her Shift Room after training. She told me about surviving in the wilderness, joining the revolutionary forces, and eventually rising to a high ranking leadership role. She wasn't at the top of it all, but she still had an incredible, horrific view. She was forced to grow up fast, her whole childhood life stripped away. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to live like her.

She told me about the first time she killed someone. Their death was quick and painless. She told me about how the more kills she had, the more skewed her morality became. She used to think all life was precious, that there was no need for war and violence. But...that all changed, morphing to the point where killing would only make her numb. To the point where it was identifiable to her that if someone had to die, they had to. The greater good, she said.

All of her kills, according to her, were quick and painless. She didn't want to cause more suffering than there already was. And yet in this killing game...it's like her morality is starting to shift once again. Her kills were all faceless, she didn't know who she was taking their life from. She just knew they were her enemy, and that was all.

Here, though? She said she first thought about killing to escape when the game was announced. If she didn't do it right at the start, she wouldn't be able to later on. She would get to know these strangers, she would befriend them...and she wouldn't be able to kill them. When Kamiyaki killed Yuuta by accident, however...that changed everything for Mei.

She didn't want to play the game anymore.

…

Oh, that's right. Zraiko has been doing well. He's no longer shut in his Shift Room all the time. It is as though he has fulfilled his purpose, so to speak.

So, what does he do? He watches anime in the game room. He has even invited us to join, to which usually I would be the only one to oblige. Even though I might not be as invested in anime as he is, I just...want to do something to spend time with him now that he's opening up. He doesn't have any dramatic, life-threatening backstory. He's really just a normal guy besides his hacking business. Well, maybe normal isn't the right word. He's smart, incredibly intelligent. He was predicted to be at the top of his graduating class before the whole Faceless Kidnapping business.

Even though Zraiko is the oldest out of us, he was still in highschool at the time of his kidnapping. He had a late birthday, he mentioned he was born in November. He had to hold off for about a year before entering school because of family government business with having to move across Japan. He said he was too scared to enter a new district with strangers so fast, and that he even cried to his parents. Unbelievable, right? Well...he was still about six years old.

He actually used to be a huge crybaby. He broke his first pair of glasses after a few months of having them and locked himself in his room in shame. The reason why? His parents told him to be careful with his glasses. He was, he told me. He was so careful, but when you trip and fall down the stairs head first, it's hard to control where you're going to land. Yeah, he cried a lot over small things. He was embarrassed to admit it, too. After all, he puts on a very mature persona up for display. I guess once he got the ball rolling in his life and started hacking, he matured to handle all the responsibilities his craft would be.

Nah, I don't think he's ever been to jail. Though, he has a record like me nonetheless. It makes me feel...like I'm not alone.

…

I picked up my Bottolet and took a look at the screen, blankly. Fifty-three hasn't spoken to me in a very long time. I sighed and looked away, putting the tablet down.

I'm worried, to be honest. What if something's gone wrong? What if we're too lost out in space to ever be found?

I don't want to stop believing that they are coming for us. I want to keep believing in them, that they're coming. That if we wait just one more day, they'll be here.

...

It feels hopeless.

Getting dressed and fixing my hair with my fingers, I decided to go eat breakfast.

* * *

I didn't head straight to the dining room like I originally expected of me. I'm...not sure why.

My body feels even more exhausted than usual. It's like I have this extreme absentmindedness I can't snap out of. I could've sworn I was in bed just ten minutes after the night bell, so why am I feeling so... _weak?_

I washed my face in the bathroom, then looking at myself in the mirror. It took me a few seconds to realize something was...very, very wrong.

Startled, I stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor. I thought I was just seeing things, but...when I climbed back up, it was clear that I wasn't.

My eyes are…

…

What the fuck…

What the fuck did those cultists do to me?!

I covered my face, sinking to the floor. I-I'm...I'm going to die, aren't I? What the hell...what the hell?! Can anyone hear me?! What the hell is happening to my body?!

"Kozaki? What are you doing on the floor? Gosh...a-are you feeling sick?"

I looked over to see Kyohi standing by the door. Seems like he was coming in to use the bathroom.

"W-Wh…" He stepped back. "Your eyes...they're a totally different color! How did you do that?"

I shook my head, covering my eyes again. "Don't look at me...please…"

"Huh?" The hockey player took a seat beside me. "What's the matter?"

"They...They did this to me…" I felt like curling into a ball. "They're going to kill me...I'm going to die...what are they doing to me? What's going to happen to me? What do they want from me?"

Kyohi didn't reply. Probably because he didn't even know what to say.

I looked back to him, sighing. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to unload onto you like that. I'm just...scared."

He didn't seem to be upset at me at all, offering me a smile. "Don't worry about me, Kozaki. I...don't really know how to help you, but…" He pumped a fist. "What I do know is...the others and I are here for you! So...keep fighting, okay?"

I could tell from his voice he wasn't entirely confident in what he was saying, but...I did appreciate the fact he was trying to help me. "Thanks, Kyohi."

He stood up, then pointing to a toilet stall. "S-So...if it's okay…"

"O-Oh, right!" I stood up, awkwardly chuckling. "I'll leave you to your business."

Leaving the bathroom, I headed to the dining room for sure this time. I had to press my hand against the wall because I felt like toppling over.

When I got there, I saw the others were all eating together. They looked over to my direction and...all had very different reactions.

"Oh, Kozaki!" Weise smiled. "Where did you find those contact lenses? They look very cool."

I shook my head, taking a seat. "They're not contact lenses, Weise...I don't know what's going on…"

I explained to the others about what I thought happened last night. The cultists, the cultists did something to me. I don't know what or why, but now I'm...I don't even know what I am. Broken?

Not normal, not normal at all.

There was a tense silence in the air before Fraize forced a short laugh. "Hey, our eyes are the same color now. Funny, right?"

I looked to the side, laughing just a bit. "I guess you're right."

"So...what does this mean, then?" Mikanne asked, worriedly. "For your health."

Looking down, I sighed. "I...I don't know...I can't help but feel like...I'm in danger."

Riko walked over to me and gently placed a hand over my forehead to feel my temperature. "Perhaps you need to rest for today...you look as though you may pass out at any moment."

"But…" I looked down at my empty plate, hoping to stay at least long enough to eat breakfast.

Riko looked over to the same direction I was. "Oh! Perhaps you should eat first."

I nodded, slowly. "Y-Yeah...I have no argument with that."

So, I quietly ate my breakfast - toast with strawberry jam - while the others all murmured to themselves. Kyohi entered the room and took a seat to finish his pancakes. Riko and Weise talked about trying to cook crepes together later. Zraiko had a sip of hot tea, and Mei kicked her legs up onto the table while sticking a toothpick between her teeth. Mikanne continued to look at my eyes, and I think I can understand why. He did mention something was off about them before, so...maybe he's thinking of some kind of explanation as to what's going on.

After I finished my meal, Fraize helped me to walk back to his room. He sat me down on one of the chairs by his desk and kneeled to my eye level. "Zaki...do you need me to stay with you today? I can get food for you, anything you need."

I smiled and shook my head. "Don't worry about me. I have to be responsible for myself." I looked to the side. "Even if the game is on 'hiatus' or so...you have to keep watching your back."

He seemed to be bothered by my response. "Didn't you always say the game was over?"

I looked down, crestfallen. "Frankly I...don't know what to believe anymore. Fifty-three hasn't said anything to me in ages...maybe we're all screwed…"

The tour guide tilted his head. "Fifty-three...who's that?"

Looking up, I nervously waved a hand. "N-Nobody. Don't worry about it."

Well...he certainly wasn't going to just let that go. He frowned, lightly. "Ahuh…"

"W-Well…" I pulled out my Bottolet to show him the messages from the stranger. "It's someone from outside the game, looking to help us. They mentioned Zraiko, so I think these are the same people he was able to contact to send our location…" I put the tablet down. "Wherever the hell in space we are."

"And they haven't replied?" Fraize asked me.

I shook my head.

He hummed to himself while thinking. "Have you tried texting them?"

I shook my head. "No, they told me specifically _not_ to do that."

He took my tablet from my hands and examined the messages sent to me. "Hmm...but how are they supposed to know you want to talk to them?"

"Apparently when I talk to the tablet they should know, but…" I felt embarrassed. "It...hasn't been working recently."

"I see…" He returned the tablet to me. "So you...just have to keep waiting?"

"It looks like it." I bit my lip. "But I feel like I have to talk to them now, more than ever. I'm scared...I don't know what's happening to me…"

He gave me a hug, gently brushing my hair with his fingertips. "Just hang on, Zaki. It's going to be okay."

Even though I had no reason to be satisfied by these words, they meant so much more coming from him.

It's going to be okay? How?

It just will. You'll see.

"Thank you, Fraize." I rested against him.

After a while, he stepped back and scratched the back of his head while grinning. "If it's okay, I have to meet with Mei now. We planned this in advance, since she's determined to get me to train with her so I stop holding back."

"It's been three weeks and she's still not giving up…" I looked to him. "Hey, but...are you okay with this?"

"To be honest, not really." He looked away. "But...if it will satisfy her, I'll do it just this once in private. Honestly, I don't even know if I can fight like I used to. It's been years...but what can you do, right?"

I nodded. "R-Right…"

He flashed me a grin. "Once we're done, I'll come back to check on you. I can even bring you lunch, if you want."

I smiled, waving a hand. "Don't worry about it. Good luck with your training."

He chuckled, shaking his head while knowing he didn't need any luck. "Thanks."

With that, I watched him leave the room.

…

It sure got quiet fast.

I sighed and looked to the messages from Fifty-three one more time. Still, there was nothing.

"Where are you now, Fifty-three?" I asked, putting the tablet down. "You're still coming to help us, right?"

No response, obviously.

 **Knock, knock.**

I looked over to the direction of the door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Kozaki. May I come in?"

I slowly walked over to the door and opened it. "What's up, Mikanne?"

He felt at his left wrist while looking to the side. "I've done a lot of thinking, Kozaki. A heck of a lot of thinking. I just...I can't pinpoint what's going on, but...I might have something that can help you."

"Huh?" I blinked, confusedly.

He smiled. "Come with me to my dorm, I need to show you something."

* * *

I looked around Mikanne's room, it being messy in some places but neat in others. Yeah...this is the Mikanne I knew. He always cared to make sure the room wasn't an absolute natural disaster, but at the same time, he didn't care if everything was spotless. It just needed to be clean enough, and that was how it's always been.

He closed the door behind us, sighing and feeling his chin. "Shit...I forgot to apply the cream this morning."

I looked over to see that his scars were bleeding. "A-Are you okay?"

He laughed lightly. "Well...why do you think I needed to wear a mask all the time?"

"To...hide the scars?" I raised an eyebrow.

He nodded. "Besides that, I have to prevent them from being exposed. Otherwise, well...they get easily irritated and may bleed."

I held my right arm. "I-If that's the case, maybe it's better for you to keep wearing your mask. I know who you are now, so-"

"No, it's alright." He smiled. "My cream is in my desk drawer. Could you get it for me while I wipe my face with a tissue?"

"O-Oh." I nodded. "I can do that."

I walked over to his desk and pulled open the drawer to see something incredibly shocking to me. Inside were bottles of those healing creams Monobotto used on us.

Why does _Mikanne_ have those?

"Hey, uh...Mikanne?" I turned over to him. "These bottles...do they have _healing cream_ in them?"

He looked over to them without much of a thought. "Huh? Oh, yeah they do. Monobotto hands me a supply every now and again so I can treat my scars."

I gulped, picking up a bottle and looking at it with caution. "The same cream bottles that could somehow heal broken bones?"

"Oh, right." He nodded, tossing a bloody tissue into the trash. "What about it?"

I looked to him, gulping. "Monobotto's healing cream...and it supplies it to you…"

He seemed to catch on to what I was thinking. "Wait...are you…?"

I bit my lip. "You're...not the mastermind, are you Mikanne?"

He shook his head. "Not in a thousand years, Kozaki."

I looked down to the bottle in my hand. "It's been so long, Mikanne...how can I trust you like before? Nine years have passed...we could both be very different people now."

He walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Having blind trust in a place like this sounds incredibly stupid, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" I closed my eyes, sighing. "I can't trust anyone, right? Because if I do, it'll only hurt me…"

He shook his head. "Wrong."

I looked back up to him. "Wrong?"

He took the cream from my hands and opened the cap. "You need people you can trust, especially in a place like this." He squirted out a little bit onto his index finger. "People who've got your back. Otherwise...you'll consume yourself in paranoia and only fall into despair."

…

That word. Despair.

That damned word. The word that only has so much meaning. The word that is simply _that_ word. The forbidden word, even.

No, I refuse to acknowledge those words. Hope, despair? I don't give a damn. To note of their existence is to be playing a part in the killing game, to be giving the cult exactly what they want.

I want nothing to do with that.

"It might sound realistic to be skeptical of others in this situation, but you shouldn't forget…" He pressed his index finger to my forehead and applied the cream. "You won't survive if you're on your own."

I felt at my forehead as I began to feel something tingle. My exhausted body suddenly was able to stand upright, as though I was just charged up like a battery.

Mikanne sighed and applied the cream to his scar. "Your eyes are still that color...I'm sorry, I...thought maybe the cream might've been able to do something."

I smiled to him. "It did, Mikanne. It helped a lot. I don't feel like toppling over anymore. Thank you."

He returned my smile as he was about to place the cream back in his drawer. He paused and turned back to me. "Kozaki?"

*Hmm?" I blinked.

He handed me the bottle. "You should keep this one. You'll never know when you'll need it."

I took the bottle, hesitantly. "What about the others?"

He pressed his index finger to his temple. "See, there was a reason why I had to hide it in the first place. If Monobotto finds out I shared them with you, he might just cut off my supply."

I looked to the side. "Then...we should slip these to them in secret, right?"

He sighed and looked to the drawer. "...Tonight, I'll see them one by one. At different times. Otherwise, that robot will know something is going on."

I nodded, then slipping my own bottle into my pocket. "Alright."

Mikanne closed his desk drawer before taking out his Bottolet. "We have some free time before lunch. Would you like to hang out?"

We headed to the arcade together and picked out a co-op turf war game. It was called Paint Raiders Z, where you played as a kid with a paintbrush trying to paint the ground a certain color. You had to be careful to not run out of paint, however. When you did, you had to run to a paint bucket supply that was filled and swap it out with your empty bucket. The empty bucket would then be filled.

There were a lot of ways to play. You could simply brush attack other kids to have them change colors and join your team, then win the game by having everyone on the same team. You could focus on painting the ground, avoiding combat altogether. You could play defensively, sloshing your entire bucket of paint to unleash a wave of paint when people get too close.

Well...the drawback is that this is meant to be an online game. We are indeed not online, which means we have to play with AIs. That wasn't to say the AIs were bad, but...it's not the same as having a human for a teammate or opponent.

When Mikanne and I played on the same team, we won every round. We had to start facing each other because otherwise the game would get boring fast.

Looks like this is another thing we should do together once we get back home. Play Paint Raiders Z.

Shit...but it's on the new TerraGlitch console. I can't afford it.

…

 _I'm sure Monobotto won't mind this one going missing once the game ends._

"Good game, Zaki." He turned to me, smiling.

I looked back to him, not saying anything.

"Oh…" He looked down. "Kozaki...sorry."

I smiled back. "Good game, Mik."

He looked back to me, surprised but then smiling brighter.

After we were done playing, we headed to the dining room for lunch. The others were gathered together as usual, though there was something...quite different going on. Mei had a book with her from the library, the others were all examining it.

"Oh, there you two are." Mei nodded to us.

Mikanne walked over to the book. "Oh, you've brought the book?"

The book?

The vigilante nodded. "Sure did."

"I thought we were going to do this tonight." Mikanne looked to Mei.

"No need to hold it off." She waved a hand dismissively. "Everyone is here."

I took a seat at the table and helped myself to a reuben sandwich. I wonder who made lunch this time. Maybe it was Riko, since she's been spending more time in the kitchen.

"Everyone, sit down." Mei instructed. "Aiyaga and I have something very important to share."

The others seemed to be confused.

Mikanne seemed to be more serious. "It's about the motive."

That caused the tension in the room to rise. With everyone now in their seats, all of our attention was fixed on the pair.

"As you may have noticed, we've been spending a lot of time in the library." Mei held up the book for us to see. "Reading books. Many of them."

Mikanne took the book from Mei and opened it up. "Not just any books, however. These books."

A short silence. Weise blinked and twiddled his fingers. "Umm...the book is blank. How can you read it?"

Mei nodded. "The secret room in the library...I investigated it with Aiyaga. We found a special switch that turns on a black light there. Putting the pages under the black light revealed...well…" She chuckled. "They weren't as blank as we thought."

Weise made a quiet, "Oh," sound to himself.

The black light...yeah, I've heard of it before from Mikanne. Though, I completely neglected the library. It's a good thing Mikanne and Mei were so determined to hunt for these secrets.

Riko raised a hand. "Excuse me, I have a concern…"

The vigilante nodded to her. "What is it?"

Riko turned to the side. "Might it be that...sharing this information will add to the motive? Are you not worried?"

Mei glanced to the side, thinking. It was as if she knew _something_ was going to happen, but then shook her head. "Don't worry. Only a shithead would take this as a motive to kill."

"A-Ah…" Riko lowered her hand. "If you are sure."

"Each of the blank books contains an entire write up of a killing game." Mikanne crossed his arms. "This one in particular...is the game Erito Hajimoto participated in."

Of course, we couldn't see the pages of the book for ourselves. Mikanne had to quickly run to his room to pick up a sheet of paper with all the notes he had taken. The book had information on the game that we already knew about from before, but...there was much more to it as well. The reasons for entering the game were listed for each participant, their real lives described in detail. Everyone was waiting for them to talk about Erito Hajimoto, though...it seems they were hesitant to do so. Mikanne explained that this book was Mei's personal responsibility, so she should to the honors in explaining. However, even though the vigilante had read the book from cover to cover, it seemed...she was going to hold off on revealing Erito's information until everything else was settled.

So, Mikanne ran back to his room once more to get more of his notes. We started to find people who could be members of the cult, people who were off the grid, people who had an identity change, and more. My theory about families moving away to escape _Danganronpa_ only seemed to be further supported.

But...I was still left with many questions.

That book that was placed in my possession, the book that Monobotto shred to bits in front of me. What was it?

"There was only one book missing." Mikanne frowned. "The book about us."

* * *

It felt as though we talked for hours. Mikanne and Mei's findings in the library could change everything. Those 'blank' pages revealing words under the black light of the mysterious hidden room...though my mind was left focused on the question that may never be answered. The book about our killing game was now destroyed. What information was written in those pages? Is there any way to find out? Would I have to confront Monobotto for the information?

...Speaking of, where _is_ Monobotto? I haven't seen the bucket of bolts all day, even though it was all over my ass yesterday. I can still remember its irritating voice beckoning, "Kozaki-Daisuke. Please-stop-neglecting-my-fanfictions. They-are-a-work-of-art-I-have-spent-countless-hours-on-!"

Something is going on...something the robot must know...

The vigilante continued to look back to me every now and again. It was as if she had something she wanted to tell me, but every time the thought crossed her mind...it seemed as though she would immediately dismiss it.

The others didn't seem to notice anything was wrong at all. They were all still talking to Mikanne, asking more about the books and the hidden room, asking him to share everything he and Mei found together - every last detail. He seemed to be overwhelmed and even kept looking for Mei to chime in, but...she didn't.

She suddenly stood up, tugging on her jacket and sighing. "Excuse me, please."

We watched as she left the room, quietly. This wasn't sitting well with me, so I decided to follow her.

Well, she walked all the way to her Shift Room, glancing behind her every now and again. It seemed she knew I was following her, but didn't do anything to stop me. She took a seat inside her room and looked over to me. "I knew you'd follow me, Daisuke."

I chuckled, looking to the side and closing the door. "S-Sorry. It's just that you look bothered, so I figured you might want to talk to me. After all…" I looked back to her. "You seemed to be looking at me a lot."

"Oh, so you noticed." She sat up straight, calmly. It felt...a little unnatural for her. "Good."

"Good?" I asked, worriedly.

Mei pulled out her gun from her inner coat pocket and fiddled with it while talking to me. "I suppose you have come to ask me about the identity of Erito Hajimoto."

"S-So you do know." I gulped. "Why won't you just tell us as a group?"

"They'll find out soon enough." She leaned back. "Trust me."

"Oh…" I looked down. "I see."

She sat upright again, still fiddling with her gun. "Daisuke, can I ask you something?"

"Huh?" I looked over to her. "Sure. What is it?"

"Do you know who Erito Hajimoto is?" She questioned me.

I blinked, shaking my head. "Umm...no, I don't think I do."

"You don't think?" She leaned in.

I felt at my neck. "The thing is...I think I've seen his face before...but I can't put a name to his face. It's someone so familiar to me, and yet...I-I don't know what to make of it."

"Mmh…" She stood up, brushing off her clothes. "I can tell you who Erito Hajimoto is."

"Oh?" I smiled, waving a hand. "It's alright. I want to find out at the same time as everyone else."

"Unfortunately for you…" She slowly raised her weapon. "You won't get the chance."

That caught me off guard. "H-Huh…?"

"What I mean by that is…" The vigilante frowned. "I won't let you have that chance."

I nervously chuckled. "T-That's not a very funny joke, Mei. Your gun might be unloaded, but it's still scary for you to point it at me…"

"Does an unloaded gun look like this, Daisuke?" She asked, slowly opening the slot to reveal her gun was fully loaded with six bullets.

"Wh...Where did…?" I backed away to the door.

"A certain someone gave it to me." She closed the slot and nodded. "That someone is going to kill me soon enough, I'm sure."

"M-Monobotto loaded your gun for you?" I gulped. "And...how can you be sure that robot is going to kill you? W-Wait...wasn't your gun also jammed? I-It won't even fire…!"

She chuckled, pointing her gun at me. "It seems you don't quite understand, now do you? I got it unjammed a while ago. What kind of 'elite' level vigilante would I be if I couldn't even fix my own gun?"

"Elite level...what does that mean?" I reached over to the doorknob.

She ignored my question and closed her eyes. "You have a five second head start to run."

Quickly realizing what was happening, I pushed the door open and slammed it behind me before bolting away. The Shift Rooms aren't far away from the dining room, there's a chance I could make it to the others and get help.

Running as fast as I could, my eyes widened when I saw Mei was right behind me on my tail. The shock of it caused me to trip, sending me tumbling down the Grand Staircase and smashing my arm against one of the steps. I could've sworn I heard a **crunching** sound, as though I had just broken my arm.

Mei looked as though she felt sorry for me, taking her time to descend the staircase. I gritted my teeth as the adrenaline rush gave me the strength to stand up again. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the box of matches from my own Shift Room that I always carried. Lighting a match, I flicked it towards the vigilante before starting to run once again, reaching for the cream Mikanne gave me to apply it to my arm and then slipping it back into my pocket.

Looking back over my shoulder, I could see Mei quickly toss off her jacket before running after me once again. It seems the match hit, leaving her no choice but to discard her jacket and continue her pursuit.

My goal was to run up the stairs at the end of the Left Wing so that I could get back upstairs towards the dining room, but that plan was quickly cut off when Mei caught up to me once again. She used the grip of her gun to smack it against my hip, causing me to stumble to the right and have me run towards the Compass. I felt like a sheep she was leading to its death.

Mei wasn't trying to shoot while chasing me. It must've been because it would've gotten the attention of the others. If she missed, everyone would've been alerted to the sound of her gun shooting out a bullet and pursue her.

I tried to fight back, recalling the training exercises from before. She taught us how to defend ourselves for a reason.

Was... _this_ the reason?

Shaking my head I looked around the Compass and grabbed the railing of the stairs leading to the fountain. I used my momentum to slide forwards quickly, using my building speed to step onto the edge of the bench and jump up to grab the edge of the wall. Climbing up and over quickly, I looked down to see Mei curse to herself before having to run back up the stairs.

That created a blind spot. I quickly swooped back down and rushed behind her, pinning her to the ground and reaching for the gun before tossing it to the side. "Mei, snap out of it! You don't want to kill! You're just playing the robot's stupid game! Do you _want_ Monobotto to win?!"

She didn't seem to struggle at all. "Listen, Daisuke. No...listen, Kozaki. This isn't about the killing game."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked, baffled. "There's no killing game so as long as there is no killing!"

"Think about outside of the game, won't you? Haven't you realized it yet?" She turned to look back to me. "What's really going on? We're being tested on, this whole thing is a giant experiment. An experiment the cult is running. The killing game doesn't matter. Their project in the background, that's what this is all about!"

"And how would you know what that project is?" I asked her, frowning.

"Project Zepto…the one all of us survivors are now locked in." She nodded. "We've thought about it all wrong, Kozaki. The task...that's what the experiment is for. They can't have their five anymore, and plans have changed."

"Then what is this task?" I felt my body shake lightly. "What's the point of all of this? Why do we have to keep _suffering_ like this?"

She looked away. "They want to make something out of us. The killing game, it's a survival of the fittest situation. Those who survive…" She shook her head. "They become…"

"They become?" I asked, worriedly. "How do you even know about all of this, Mei?"

There was a short silence before Mei took advantage of my lowered guard, shoving me off her and grabbing her gun. She pointed it at me, gritting her teeth. "Wouldn't you know by now?"

I quickly ran up the steps of the Compass as Mei began to chase after me again. Reaching into my pocket, I took out the matches and came up with an idea that could help me.

…

I know I promised I wouldn't ever do it again, but…

This will be...my last fire.

I hurried into the library from the back entrance. Books everywhere, tons of paper. Each page...all the more flammable.

I started flicking lit matches at the shelves, but they weren't burning fast enough for me. I saw Mei enter the library, causing me to panic.

I sprinted up the library steps, getting to the second floor and hurrying over to the door by the dorms. I was hoping, _begging_ to make it out and get back to the others. Please, _please_ let me out!

…

D...Damn it! Fucking damn it, it's locked! She...She must've known I would've come here and prepared beforehand, then when she chased me she forced me here…!

I turned around quickly, ready to sprint to the other door on the second floor, hoping to make a run for it and get to the dorms area.

But Mei caught up to me...and she wasn't going to let me get away. She panted lightly, placing a hand on her chest to catch her breath. Seems her heart condition was catching up to her, but that wasn't going to stop her at all.

She approached me, so I tried to slip away by heading towards the stair railings. She tripped me over by quickly slipping her foot in between my legs. I toppled to the floor, landing hard on my arm. The pain was sharp, though I still tried my best to get _somewhere_ away. I pulled myself up using the railings of the floor platform, then facing the vigilante.

"Kozaki…" Mei squeezed her eyes shut, pointing her gun to me with her hand shaking. "I'm sorry. For the sake of us all…" She looked me in the eyes. "I can't allow for you to live."

I shook my head, slowly. I clutched my arm, my body was still aching from the pain of being slammed down the stairs. "Mei...please. Don't do this…"

Her head shook more. "Don't you realize it yet? All these connections to you? If you die...it'll be over. The game...it can't continue without you."

"W...Why?" I felt myself tear up, fearing for my life. "What the hell does that mean?"

She looked down, as though she couldn't bring herself to say it. "Your uncle, Haiji Daisuke...is Erito Hajimoto."

I was in complete shock, unable to process the simplicity behind Mei's motive. "My...uncle is…?"

She frowned, nodding slowly. "Your uncle...is that blackened from season 38. Your uncle is the one who ended the life of his dear friend to spare her the pain of execution. Execution that he brought upon to the other players of the game. Your uncle won the prize money, he worked for _Team Danganronpa_. Your uncle, Haiji Daisuke, is here. Kozaki…your uncle and Erito Hajimoto are one in the same."

I couldn't believe it. It...It made all the sense in the world, but I couldn't believe it at all. Damn it, damn it…! He lied, I should've known! To have that much confidence to lie to me like _this_!

But...if he really was an Ultimate…

...

Slowly backing away, I found myself pressed up against the railings of the second floor. I was trapped. "But...my uncle...the head of an entire cult organization?!"

"I understand you are shocked." She glanced to the side. "I was as well when I uncovered this…he's the director of Project Zepto, he's the second in command over this whole operation. He knows what's in store for all the survivors of this game. He wrote the riddle, made the task...Zepto is his vision. And yet...someone else..." She didn't finish her sentence.

"How did you find this information?" I pressed her, desperate for answers.

"You see...the thing I asked for from Monobotto..." She looked back to me. "For this crime...I asked for another copy of our book. It gave it to me, I read it front to back...and now I know _everything_."

"E-Everything?" I squeezed the railing.

"Those damn pages, I'm telling you. They revealed the truth of this entire game…" She looked me in the eyes. "And everything fits together. This giant mess of mystery...those pages that complete the puzzle...I've seen how they all line up. They revealed everything about Zepto from stage zero to now. There was even new information that wouldn't have been in the lost book, and well...after Makora died, the project has to go through a lot of redesigning. For three weeks, Kozaki. They've been working on this new version of Project Zepto...and now it's finally set in stone." She frowned. "The survivors of this game...they become something... _more._ "

I couldn't wrap my mind around this whole Zepto ordeal, mostly due to the amount of stress I was in with the vigilante keeping her gun aimed at me. "And those pages told you my uncle was the head of it all?" I asked, bewildered. "That he runs this Project Zepto? That he has been in control this whole entire time?"

She nodded. "Those pages revealed every single member of this cult, all of their roles and all of their connections. Not only that, but it held all of their different aliases as well. Lo and behold...Erito Hajimoto and Haiji Daisuke proved to be the same person."

I looked down. "Then it's true?"

"There's even more." Her grip on the gun tightened. "I found out the biggest truth that...I feel as though it would be better for you to die without knowing."

"The...biggest truth?" I bit my lip.

Mei seemed to be saddened, even lowering her weapon for a moment. "You...really don't know, do you? The truth behind everything...even beyond this killing game. The truth behind this cult, what they're planning in the background. The truth about Zepto, how it's going to impact the survivors. The truth behind our connections and our lives…" She bit her lip. "I know everything now. The truth that Makora was so close to reaching. Now that I have it...it's my turn to die."

I shook my head, slowly.

She sighed, raising her weapon again. "Kozaki...do you realize it now? Why you're so important in this game?"

I closed my eyes, clearing my mind. All those instances where Monobotto was getting close to me, being the greatest of the Zepto experiments, all those instances where I seemed to be bending the rules...was it all because of my uncle? Zepto this, cult that...what did it all mean?

"Please…" Mei's voice shook. "Keep your eyes closed. In a second, it'll be over…"

My hands gripped the railings, I felt more tears slip down my cheeks. "M-Mei...I don't want to die…"

She let out a sigh. "Don't worry...I'll see you on the other side, soon. There's no way I'm getting away with this, and I fully accept that. Believe me...I don't even want to get away with this either."

"Please... _please_ …" I begged. "I won't tell anyone...not a single soul...just don't…"

"Remember what you said before?" She chuckled. "As a vigilante, I define what the law is to me. I will do what I see is...for the greater good." Her voice became softer. "I don't hate you, Kozaki. I'm not killing you out of _malice_...I'm killing you out of _mercy."_ Her voice shook again, for only a moment. "Please...don't change my mind now...it's far too late to turn back…"

My grip on the rails loostened. I looked her in the eyes once more, still holding on to the hope that there might be a chance to stop this. "Mei…"

She shook her head. "You are one of the best people I've ever known. Kind hearted, selfless...I don't think I could name a single time you made a choice without thinking about how it would impact us all. This whole damn time, you've been fighting to keep us alive." She smiled. "I am truly fortunate to have had the pleasure of knowing you."

I felt as though through the sincerity of her words that there was no point in trying to stop her. It was clear to Mei, no matter the circumstances...she wasn't going to leave me alive. Despite it all, despite how hard I've tried to save all of us...despite how hard I've tried to be the best person I could be…

…

At least...I was able to make amends with Mikanne…

If my death is all it takes to end the game...then…

"Promise me, Mei…" I shut my eyes. "You tell everyone...how thankful I am for...getting to be their friend. Tell Mikanne...how thankful I am for being his childhood friend. Tell Zraiko how thankful I am for all the hard work he put in to calling for help. Tell Riko how thankful I am for her optimistic attitude, always pushing us forward…" The pain in my heart was becoming unbearable as I continued to allow for tears to fall. "Tell Weise to never stop making the world a brighter place. Tell Kyohi to never stop believing in himself and all of us. Tell Fraize...how thankful I am for...sharing his heart with mine. And…" I bowed my head. "Thank you, Mei...thank you for always staying true to yourself."

The vigilante didn't respond for quite a while. "Kozaki?"

I looked up to Mei again.

She smiled, lightly. "Until we meet again."

I nodded slowly, closing my eyes once more.

…

With a loud **BANG** sounding out, everything began to slow down around me. I felt a piercing, sharp pain resonate throughout my entire body. The vigilante charged forward, pushing my body over the railings. I opened my eyes for only a fraction, reaching my hand out to her as though she would take it and save me.

But...she didn't.

I closed my eyes for the final time, feeling as though the entire world was warping around my body. I felt myself grow colder by the second, a warm breath escaping through my lips.

And when I hit the ground...I knew it was over.

The cream...I can't reach for it. I'm too weak...

As I felt myself fade away, I thought I could hear Mei's voice call out to me.

The fire in the library, I could feel it was growing stronger. It was getting harder to breathe by the second, I couldn't hold on any longer.

The last thing I could hear was another sharp **BANG** before the entire room was silent. From that point on, I didn't have the strength to grasp onto consciousness any longer.

…

Everyone...please, get the hell out of this place. Go home, damn it...please. All of you…

Let my death...be the last.

That's...my last wish.

…

"No."

* * *

Chapter Five, Daily Life Four, End

Chapter Five, Deadly Life One, Start


	31. The Collapse of Zepto Deadly Life 1

Nervous. I am feeling incredibly nervous.

"You're going to do great, sweety." My mother encouraged me, patting my shoulders and kissing my forehead. "You've been practicing so hard. I know you can do this."

I looked to the side as I held my clarinet with trembling hands. "Ah...I know I practiced so hard, but...I'm very worried. This solo is very important. I cannot make a mistake."

My mother gave me a gentle smile. "Do your best. As long as you do, you have nothing to regret."

I watched my mother scurry away to her seat in the audience. Taking in a deep breath, I took my seat in the clarinet section of the orchestra.

I didn't really have any friends in the orchestra, per se. Not because I didn't get along with anyone, but because...all the other members were older than me. I found it hard to make friends with them.

It's hard being in the orchestra at such a young age. We travel all over the country, making it difficult to keep up with all my schoolwork. I have nobody to chat about homework assignments with, as nobody was present in the same classes as I. I was thankful for those who tried to help me when I didn't know what to do, especially with my math homework, but...it wasn't the same as talking to a friend.

I didn't really have too many friends, to be honest. I wasn't the popular girl, and I could never dream of being even thirty meters near one in school. I was quiet, shy, and mostly kept to myself and my music. Understandably, my friends were all passionate about playing music as well.

"Good luck tonight." My chair buddy, Dimitur, whispered to me.

Dimitur was a young man about the age of twenty-two. Although I had said before that I wasn't very close to anyone in the orchestra, Dimitur was the closest to being a friend. He was usually the one to help me with my homework. He was patient, but also a quick thinker.

"To you as well." I bowed my head lightly.

He smiled and fixed my hat for me. "You'll do great on your solo, Riko. You've practiced it so many times. I know it sounds pretty cliche, but don't you think all your hard work will amount to your success?"

I sighed, squeezing my aunt's clarinet lightly. "I do hope so…"

Well, the curtains raised and the music began to play. The crowd was huge, making my heart flutter out of tune for a moment. I should have expected this, given how we were performing in Bucharest. Every seat seemed to be taken. I could see parents holding sleeping children, I could see teens whispering to other teens…

My own family was sitting closer to the front, silently cheering me on. My little brother waved to me, to which I would've waved back had I not been on stage performing.

The crowd was filled with so many different people. A teen boy with pink hair sitting next to a man with black hair. A girl with blonde hair sitting next to a boy with brown hair. Blue hair, green hair, purple hair, orange hair. The whole audience may have had enough people to make a rainbow.

My solo seemed to please them, and the song ended melodiously. With the curtains closed, we entered an intermission.

"I will be right back." I excused myself, standing up. I wanted to step outside to get a breath of fresh air, as the anxiety of performing my solo still lingered even after the song was over.

Pushing open the door to the back exit, I took my hat off to fan myself. The horrid smell of cigarettes caused me to cough and cover my face.

Seems the air isn't as fresh as I had hoped it to be.

I figured I would head inside only to find that I had locked myself out. I knocked on the door to no reply.

Oh dear…It looks like I will have to make a run for the main entrance.

Just as I was about to dash away, I noticed a person walk over in my direction. They were wearing a mask over their face. "Good evening, Eleven."

I clutched my instrument with worry. "Excuse me?"

"That is your number, am I mistaken, dear?" The person asked, tilting their head.

I looked down. "We do not have numbers in the orchestra. We are seated by our instrument section in alphabetical order of last name."

The person didn't seem to care. "Riko Hamoizumi. That _is_ your name, correct sweety?"

"Yes." I backed away. "If you would please excuse me, I must leave now. The intermission will shortly end. I have to return to my seat."

The person shook their head lightly. "Oh, dear...you don't have to worry about that. You have been excused from the orchestra for tonight."

I was then grabbed from behind by two other masked beings. I tried to cry for help, but one of them quickly covered my mouth. All I could do was clutch my aunt's clarinet and struggle in place.

"My, my...a poor little songbird such as yourself should have no business being trapped like this…" The first person took out a mask. "It is such a shame you're so... _talented…_ "

I noticed the masked person then dropped a card to the ground. I couldn't make out what was printed on it, but I knew it would be no good.

"Good night, dear…" The person pressed the mask over my face. "Sweet dreams."

I felt all of my strength drain from me. I tried desperately to fight back, but it brought me nothing. I squeezed onto my aunt's clarinet for as long as I could before everything slipped away into darkness.

* * *

I haven't felt quite well today. I have not been able to pinpoint why, but I just have the feeling like something is going to happen today.

I walked towards the dining room with Weise, the young fashion designer passionately talking about his crafts while I carried a platter of sandwiches. Mei told me that something very big was going to go down at around lunch time. I figured perhaps I must prepare a lunch for us all.

To be honest, the thought of what this very big thing could be gave me anxiety. I would like to believe it is an update on the people who are coming to our rescue, however...something tells me that is not going to be the case.

Sitting down around the dining room table, I looked around to see people begin to take seats alongside me. Nobody was really sure what this was about.

There were whispers, of course. Thoughts and ideas. We were all silenced by the sound of a book slamming onto the table.

The vigilante stood up on top of her chair, then clearing her throat. "Is everyone here yet?"

Not yet. Kozaki and Mikanne were still away.

So, we took the time to silently sit and watch Mei turn the pages of the book as we waited for them to arrive.

Arrive they did, eventually. They were grinning to each other like two teenage boys sharing a dirty little secret when they walked through the door.

The vigilante nodded to the pair "Oh, there you two are."

Their smiles faded when Mikanne asked, "Oh, you've brought the book?"

Ah, yes. The large book in front of us on the table. It seems that is what this meeting is about.

Mei nodded again. "Sure did."

We would soon learn that the meeting was not just about the book, but also about the motive. I was distracted by my growing feeling of tension and anxiety. I feared that any discussion of the motive would only lead to trouble, if not murder.

I silently watched as Mei stood up to leave. It seemed like she needed a break, that she had a lot on her mind and wanted to rest. Kozaki stood up and left after her, probably to speak in private. Kozaki is that kind of person, always going out of his way to make sure everyone was alright. There aren't many people like him.

I thought about standing up and going after him, but decided against it. He can handle it on his own, they'll be fine.

"The mastermind of our game...does Mei really know who Erito is?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

Mikanne nodded. "That's right. She took it upon herself to find out, since she is a vigilante and all. She wants to be the one to bring Erito to justice."

"I don't know about you, but…" Fraize frowned, lightly. "I want to bring Erito to justice as well."

"Agreed." Zraiko nodded. "This affects all of us, not just Mei."

Erito's true identity...what could this mean?

I mostly kept to myself while the others were talking. I only felt more and more nervous about this. My gut was telling me something was about to happen, but..I had no idea what this something would be.

"My friend, are you okay?" Fraize whispered to me, scooching his chair over. "You look worried."

I looked over to the tour guide, smiling shyly. "Oh, sorry. It's just…"

"You're worried about the motive, right?" He nodded. "It's alright, Riko. There's no shame in feeling this way."

I looked down, holding my hands together on my lap. "The last time we had someone try to find the truth, someone died. I'm scared, honestly. I'm scared to see what will happen now."

Fraize gently placed a hand on top of mine. "Do you want to go check on them? Would that help you feel better?"

I looked back up to him, nodding slowly.

But...just when we were about to stand up...a single sound rang out and changed everything.

 **BANG.**

…

Ah?

"W-What was that?!" Weise looked around, frightened.

Zraiko stood up, suddenly. "It sounded like a gun."

"A-A gun?" Kyohi asked, worriedly. "How would you know?"

The hacker hurried over to the door. "Government family members."

"B-But a gun?" Kyohi then stood up.

Fraize quickly stood up as well. "No, he's right. That had to have been a gun. We need to leave."

By this point, now everyone was all standing. Zraiko hurried out the door, Fraize looking to follow him. I quickly took his hand to hold back the tour guide. "Please, wait!"

He looked back to me, worriedly. "We can't wait, Riko! We have to find them!"

He quickly moved out of my grip and ran off. I could barely process what just happened at all.

Gun...a gun? Has someone just been shot? How was this even possible?

I looked over to see Mikanne was ushering Weise and Kyohi under the table. "Stay here, okay? We don't know what that crazy vigilante is doing. You'll be safe here."

Weise gulped and quivered while Kyohi pulled him into a protective hug.

"I'm counting on you to keep yourselves safe, Kyohi." Mikanne nodded, then hurrying over to me. "Let's go, Riko."

"Let's go?" I gulped. "Might I ask where?"

He moved us out of the dining room and closed the door. "Anywhere. We need to find Mei and Kozaki right now. I don't know where that sound came from, so let's get looking."

Holding my hands together, I gave a firm but nervous nod. "Alright, I shall do my best!"

"Look downstairs with me." He pointed towards the right. "I'm going to look around the Compass. You should check around the dorms."

"Understood!" I quickly headed off.

I hurried down the Grand Staircase with not my worry, but without a clue of where to search.

My first thought was to try and look around the nearby area. The sound was disorienting, and it was a risk to decide whether to run down either hallway without knowing for certain where I would be looking. If I went further away from where the current scene was unraveling, then I might be too late to help anything at all.

I inspected the entrances to each hallway, listening for a commotion to echo into my ears. No, I couldn't hear anything at all.

I looked back towards the Grand Staircase, thinking about going upstairs. That was when I noticed, off to the side of the stairs was Mei's jacket. It was nearly unrecognizable, as it had been burned almost to completion. However, the small size definitely helped me to identify it.

Why is Mei's jacket on the floor in this state?

 **BANG.**

A-Ah? Another bang?!

What is going on?

Silly, silly Riko! What else could make such a terrible sound? A gun, it's a gun. I know now that I've heard it more than once.

Mei was alone with Kozaki, and now her gun is being fired…!

This time I seemed to have a sense of where I needed to go. Dashing up the Grand Staircase, I made a quick right and hurried over to the closest entrance into the library.

It was locked.

I knocked on it, then punching it to try and get in. "Hello?!"

No response.

I took off my fedora to fan myself while I placed back and forth to try and think on what to do.

Silly, silly...there's still another entrance on this floor to try!

As I hurried around the corner to see the other entrance, I spotted Fraize standing by the Shift Rooms. It seemed he also came to this location, possibly from the stairs from the Right Wing. He was looking inside one of the Shift Rooms, as it appeared to have been left open. From a quick glance, it looked like it was Mei's room that was loaded in.

"Fraize!" I hurried over to the tour guide.

"Oh, Riko!" He looked to me, worriedly. "Are you alright?"

I waved my hand to brush away the question. "That second bang, you heard it as well, right?"

He gulped and nodded. His face seemed to be pale, as though he knew what the news meant.

No, no. I will not believe it! We have to hurry!

"It sounds like it came from the library, here on the second floor! We must get in!" I hurried over to the door and tried to open it. However...it, too, was locked.

"Locked…" Fraize pointed to the Right Wing stairs. "We still have two more doors to try. Let's head back down."

Ah, that's right! The door near the Puzzle Room and the door near the garden. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to get inside!

We hurried down the steps and turned to the library door that was awaiting us. I hurried forward and placed my hand on the doorknob, squeezing it lightly.

This feeling...why am I feeling such dread deep inside my heart?

My hand was quivering as I held the doorknob. I was frightened, but I didn't know why. It was as though a great despair was awaiting me.

What could've happened? What am I about to see?

I shut my eyes as I pushed the door open, being greeted by a wave of heat. No, not just heat. Smoke. A drowned-out smoke of a fire that had been washed out.

As I covered my mouth and stepped inside, I tried to look around the surroundings. I could not see clearly at all, and just being here has made me feel like passing out.

Fraize quickly pulled me back outside. "Careful, my friend...it's too dangerous to go inside."

"B-But-" I coughed, lightly.

He seemed to share the same anxiety as I. There was something horrific hiding within the smoke, waiting to jump out at us. "I…"

I looked him in the eyes before shaking my head and hurrying into the library.

I cannot see, not even a little. The smoke is too thick. It's as though every single last book had been ignited, now their remains soared around the air.

I cannot see, I begin to feel my fingertips grow cold. I'm starting to realize what terrifying sight may be awaiting me.

And then...I saw him.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of silence. My vision was rather hazy at first, but once everything cleared I could see I was tucked in lightly into a bed. A bed that was not my own.

It was difficult to remember what brought me here, though I could recall things to some extent. Masked people, kidnapping...and here I am now.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes and yawning. My bed felt like a magnet, trying to convince my body to fall back down under the warm covers. I, however, climbed out and examined myself. I was wearing cookie pajamas, to which I was certain I never owned.

My clothes were folded neatly on top of a nearby bed stand. When I touched them to pick them up, they felt warm as though they were newly laundried. Changing into them, I pondered over leaving the room for a while. The room I was in was small, but not too small. It certainly felt much safer to stay inside rather than go out.

So...I sat on the bed and waited. It was frightening, to be honest. I felt like no matter what I would choose, something quite horrific was waiting to greet me.

So...I chose to go open the door. I chose to leave my room.

Outside was what looked like some sort of dormitory area, although I couldn't actually say I've ever seen a dormitory organized in this manner before. Eight rooms upstairs, and it seemed like there were eight more downstairs as well.

How did I know? Well, my body told me to go down this grand set of stairs that was right in front of me.

Alright...now where am I to go? To the left, to the right?

Hmm...to the left sounds alright. So, that is where I went to investigate my new surroundings.

I found several rooms, but a majority of them seemed to be locked. There were, however, two unlocked rooms. An incredible library and...a vastly empty room labeled as the Puzzle Room. Well, it certainly did leave me perplexed.

I figured now would be a good time to go back to the dormitory area to investigate what would be found down the right hall. So...that's what I did. Or, what I intended to do. Things didn't quite turn out as planned.

When I returned back to the area of the dormitories, I noticed a boy descending the stairs. He wore a maroon sweater underneath a black hoodie, black pants, maroon sneakers...and his hair was a peculiar light coral pink color. His eyes were maroon as well. He seemed to be...somewhat unnatural. It might be because I'm not used to seeing people with pink hair.

The sight of another person brought me both relief and worry. I quickly headed over to the boy, hoping to speak with him. "Excuse me, umm, excuse me!" I stopped just before him, catching my breath lightly. "Do you know where I am?"

The boy shook his head, simply. "Unfortunately not. I'd have liked to ask you the same."

Ah...I should've known. It seems he is just like me, another kidnapping victim brought to this strange place. I took a short moment to obverse the boy. I found the sigil of his hoodie to be unique and quite interesting. Perhaps it was done by himself?

After finishing my examination of the boy, I looked up to him. "If I may ask...who are you?"

He nervously scratched the back of his head, looking as though he was trying to decide how to answer me. "I'm…"

I patiently smiled, hoping to comfort him.

Instead of comforting him, it seems that I made him anxious. He lost composure lightly, responding in a rather harsh manner "Name's Kozaki...though you probably could care less. Personally, I care fuck all for anything."

I covered my mouth to suppress a gasp. I certainly did not expect his introduction to go down quite like this.

He took notice of my startled reaction, then waving a hand lightly to reassure me. "Don't take it too hard." He sighed, holding his right arm. "I just...have a lot of rage to burn. I guess it fits that I'm the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist."

The...The what? Super-Highschool-Level... _Arsonist?_

He seemed to be incredibly anxious now, as though he just realized what title he shared with me. It seemed he immediately regretted it.

I couldn't hold myself back. "An...arsonist? You're a…?"

He waved his hands in front of him, fearfully. "I'm...trying my best to reform in therapy, I swear!" He then looked down, shamefully. "The last thing I want is to hurt people. If I break that promise…" His voice grew soft. "Well fuck me sideways."

I looked to the side, feeling sorry to hear about his struggles. "I see...It sounds pretty rough…"

He frowned. "Damn straight. Just when I was trying to relax...some freaks kidnapped me."

My lips quivered at the mention of kidnapping. "Kidnapped...you too?"

"Huh?" Kozaki seemed to be surprised by my forwardness.

I explained to him my own situation. From this, we discovered several unnatural things about our circumstances. And yet, despite this...we quickly grew to trust each other. Perhaps because we felt alone, because it would be better to have someone by our side. Kozaki was my first friend here, and because of that we became one of the closest pairs in the game. Atleast, that's how it was for a while.

Putting that aside, I could say with certainty that we were good friends. I had never met anyone quite like him before, but...I was glad to meet him. His personality was strong, and he was always authentic and true to who he was.

Even in a place like this, in the killing game.

The way he stood up and demonstrated his defiance inspired me. His determination to fight, to refuse to bend to the will of that robot and the cult, I found it to be incredible. Especially as someone who lacks self-confidence, seeing this display made me want to do something as well.

Ever since then, I knew that I wanted to give my all to help him end the killing game.

* * *

He was on the floor, face mostly down but tilted to the side. His eyes were closed softly, lips cracked just a fraction. I could see blood, though it wasn't a pool.

He wasn't moving.

I started to panic, kneeling by his side and trying to find a sign of life. I couldn't tell. Perhaps I was seeing things, it may be the smoke was making it too hard to focus on him.

"Wake up…" I shook him, lightly, even flipping him over onto his back. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

I covered my mouth again and coughed. I cannot stay here, can I?

No, I mustn't leave him! What if he's still alive? There might be a chance!

There was suddenly a deep humming sound as the smoke began to clear. Ah, it seems the library has a ventilation system hidden away somewhere.

I got a better look at him. I checked him front and back. I could see holes in his clothes, an entrance and an exit. If he had really been shot, the bullet would not be found inside his body.

Who am I kidding? He was shot. We all heard it. We all heard the sound ring out to us.

The sound to signify the end of his life…

"R...Riko?"

I looked upwards. It was Fraize, standing still, body frozen.

He slowly kneeled to the ground, taking Kozaki's hand and squeezing it. "No...no…"

He...He cannot be dead. I will not believe it as such!

…

Perhaps...I am but a fool…

"Hey, what's happening?!" Zraiko ran in through the entrance with Mikanne. "Did you find-"

And then they saw him, too.

 _ **Ding dong dong ding.**_

"A-body-has-been-discovered." Monobotto announced on the speaker system. Its voice just as shrill and unapologetic as ever. "Please-gather-at-the-scene-of-the-crime. The-first-floor-of-the-library."

The buzz of the speakers was cut, leaving us all in silence.

Mikanne walked over to us before dropping to his knees. "Th...This can't…"

Zraiko slowly took off his glasses, shocked. Unable to process it at all.

Not too long after, Weise and Kyohi entered the room. When they saw him, neither of them could say a word.

Fraize was the one who broke the silence. He let out a deep, mournful cry as he hugged Kozaki, shaking his head with tears streaming from his eyes. He was begging for him to open his eyes, to stop scaring him like this. He asked about their promise to go home, he begged for him not to leave him. Not like this, not like this…

"If only I had been a little faster! Why, why?! Come back! Please!" He buried his face into Kozaki's chest. "Come...Come back...I thought I saved you...just like you saved me…"

I felt tears slip from my eyes as well. Kozaki was the first person I met here. He had his flaws, but the way he could touch people's hearts was unlike any other person I had met prior. He never stopped thinking about other people. He fought so hard to end the killing game only to end up killed as well. He did not deserve this.

Weise started to cry waterfalls. Kyohi hugged him to comfort him, though I could see the hockey player was fighting to hold back tears as well.

Zraiko didn't cry, but it looked like he was moments away from doing so. He covered his face with one hand and stood still. "That bitch...she killed him…"

Mikanne reached over to take Kozaki's other hand. "...D...Damn it...he's still warm…!"

"Enjoying-your-little-sob-party-you-clowns?" Monobotto asked, rolling into the room. "Oh. How-unfortunately-unfortunate. Kozaki-Daisuke-is-gone. What-a-shame."

"You...You shut the fuck up!" Mikanne lunged for the robot. I did everything in my power to hold him back.

"Oh-boo-hoo. Only-care-after-he's-gone. What-about-all-those-other-times-he-nearly-died-?" The robot tilted its head. "You-didn't-seem-to-be-bothered-at-all."

Mikanne tried to attack again. "It was all because of you, you damned bucket of bolts!"

I pulled back with all my strength. "Please, do not break the rules!"

He stopped suddenly, then covering his face in disgust for himself. We were just playing video games half an hour ago. Why, why? Why is he lying on the floor like this?

Fraize continued to shake his head, whispering to Kozaki. You're not dead. You're not. I know you're not. Please, give me a sign. I'm begging you...please...something…

"Clowns. At-least-wait-until-after-getting-the-file-before-continuing-to-be-depressed." Monobotto hummed in annoyance. It was a rather impatient one as well. It seemed it just wanted us to get this over with.

Slowly and hesitantly, I took out my Bottolet to see the file.

 _ **Victim Information:**_

 **The victim is Kozaki Daisuke, the Super-Highschool-Level Arsonist.**

 **His age was 20 years old.**

 **He lived in Rothica Pennsylvania, U.S.A.**

 **He was 168 centimeters tall.**

 **He weighed 59.8 kilograms.**

 **He had no allergies.**

 **His blood type was AB-**

 **The victim's mental disorders are unknown.**

 _ **Victim Situation:**_

 **The victim's time of discovery cannot be determined.**

 **The estimated time of death cannot be determined.**

 **The victim's cause of death cannot be determined.**

 **The victim's heart rate before death cannot be determined.**

 **The victim's brain wave readings before death cannot be determined.**

Ah…?

What is all of this? Nothing about Kozaki's situation can be determined?

Unknown mental disorders as well. Why is it that there is so much left out on this file? I cannot help but worry something sinister is going on here…

"Talk about the most useless file of them all." Zraiko muttered to himself.

"Isn't it obvious?!" Fraize looked to the hacker, tears still in his eyes. "Mei shot and killed him!"

"If it was, then why wouldn't the tablet just say so?" The hacker frowned, putting his Bottolet away.

Fraize only bit his lip and turned back to Kozaki, hugging him tightly and collapsing onto him. He kept whispering to himself, wake up. Please! Why won't you open your eyes? You're not dead, I know you're not dead…! Why? Why?!

I could only feel hopelessness tangle my heart. It seemed that he was in denial...a denial he may never be able to overcome.

Or perhaps...all of us were facing that very same despair.

I couldn't bear to look at him any longer. It was squeezing my heart. So many memories were flashing through my mind. When we first met, when he did the puzzle, when he held my hand, when he comforted me, when he fought to prove he was more than what his talent labeled him to be. He wasn't a criminal looking to cause mayhem. He was a boy, a human boy with traumas that chased after him in his shadow. A boy who never wanted anyone to be concerned over his well being.

And now…?

Now...he was gone...and I refused to accept it.

"Where the hell is she?" Mikanne asked, his voice shaking. "I'm...I'm going to kill her…!"

"Don't, Mikanne." Zraiko placed his hand on the tattoo artist's shoulder. "There's no point. Murder is still murder. Do you think Kozaki would want you to-"

Mikanne pushed the hacker away, covering his face again. "Just...Just shut up!"

Silence.

…

But he's right. Where is the vigilante? She has no reason to hide. I'm sure that she knows that there would be no point in that. She would know we would all be aware of her being Kozaki's killer, and she would own up to it. That's the Mei I know.

I felt the urge to go upstairs. After all, with the way Kozaki was laying on the ground…

It was strange. Like he had fallen from a height of some kind. Well...the only height I can imagine it being is the second floor of the library.

Approaching the stairs, I looked behind to see if anyone would follow me. Kyohi, Weise, and Zraiko seemed to be up for it. Meanwhile Mikanne and Fraize...just couldn't leave Kozaki's side.

I didn't want to disturb them, so I quietly walked up the steps. For some reason, my legs were shaking. I knew, I just _knew_ that something was going to be there. Something was going to greet me at the second floor...and I wasn't prepared for it.

When I reached the top of the stairs, a scene even more shocking was awaiting me.

There, on the second floor. She was sitting in a chair, her face down on the table. Her arms also resting on the table, her gun in her hand.

I could see a bullet hole at the back of her shirt. It seemed to be an exit hole.

 _ **Ding dong ding ding.**_

Monobotto used its arms to climb up the steps. "Well-well-well. Would-you-look-at-that. Another-body-has-been-discovered."

That made my already delicate heart drop. Kozaki and Mei…

Monobotto waited for everyone to come upstairs to see the body. No need to tell us where it was. It was clear.

"Damn it, damn it…" Mikanne muttered under his breath. "She's gotten away with it."

"So the bitch shot herself after killing Kozaki." Zraiko didn't seem to feel bad for Mei at all. "Teaching us self defense for everything except a gun...I should've known."

She shot herself...in the chest? I am not so sure. If one were to commit suicide with a pistol, would it not be a shot to the head?

No, this is not the only problem I am finding here. Mei is a character of honor. I do not believe she would ever take her own life. This whole situation...it is making me feel quite dizzy.

Monobotto instructed us to read the file on Mei as it began to roll down the steps. It was as though it was looking for an opportunity to keep us away from Kozaki.

Well, it didn't get to have its way. Fraize and Mikanne both hurried downstairs to prevent the robot from doing anything to Kozaki. After all, I believe we were all aware of how the robot seemed to have a disturbing fascination with him.

Slowly turning to my Bottolet, I took a look at the file for Mei.

 _ **Victim Information:**_

 **The victim is Mei Jiana, the Super-Highschool-Level Vigilante.**

 **Her age was 16 years old.**

 **She lived in Lima, Peru.**

 **She was 144.78 centimeters tall.**

 **She weighed 38.5 kilograms.**

 **She had no allergies, but did have a cardiac disability.**

 **Her blood type was B+**

 **The victim did not have any mental disorders.**

 _ **Victim Situation:**_

 **The victim was discovered on the second floor of the library by Riko Hamoizumi, Kyohi Hayai, Weise Vayrne, and Zraiko Nikiroi at 2:35 PM.**

 **The estimated time of death is 2:20 PM.**

 **The victim's cause of death is a gunshot wound to the chest. The death was instant.**

 **The victim's heart rate before death increased lightly.**

 **The victim's brain wave readings before death showed the victim was feeling a deep regret and relief.**

While Kozaki's file had almost nothing, Mei's file was plentiful with information.

Just fifteen minutes ago, Mei's life came to an end. Fifteen minutes ago, that second bullet shot echoed these ever-growing empty halls. That second bullet that would take her life.

But...it all felt strange to me. The way she was shot…

"You-have-two-hours-to-investigate." Monobotto called to us from downstairs.

I sighed, turning to the others who were with me. "Let's be in groups of three. We can rotate after we've investigated a body."

"I'll go downstairs." Kyohi nodded, determined but still shaken.

"Thank you." I smiled, gently.

As the hockey player descended the stairs, I watched as Zraiko walked over to examine Mei. "I...take back what I said."

"Oh?" I walked to his side. "What do you mean?"

The hacker crossed his arms. "It was...a call based on a strong emotional outburst."

"...Ah?" I tilted my head, not following.

He slowly lifted up Mei from the table and had her lean against the chair. "This. This doesn't make sense at all."

I looked over to what he was talking about.

"Hmm...she doesn't have her jacket on!" Weise puffed his cheeks. "This is very strange. She _always_ wears it."

"I found it lying on the floor by the bottom of the Grand Staircase." Zraiko calmly replied. "It was mostly a pile of ashes."

Ah, I think I remember seeing her jacket as well.

"If clothes can turn to ashes for no reason, that is a big fashion flaw." Weise shook his head. "It must've been a very cheap jacket."

"Well, I don't think a vigilante from a war-torn country can afford to buy a jacket tailored by your own brand." Zraiko poked the fashion designer on the forehead.

"H-Huh?" Weise pouted. "But my jackets aren't any cheaper than a hundred euros! They're very affordable!"

"Yeah, maybe if you lived in France." Zraiko rolled his eyes and turned back to Mei. "We're getting off topic."

Hmm...but there is definitely something important about her jacket. I need to see it closely for myself later.

"Anyways." The hacker pointed to the bullet hole at the front of her shirt. "This is the glaring contradiction. Look closely."

I leaned in, lightly. "It appears to be...a hole with plenty of bloodstains."

"And not a single sign of being burned." Zraiko pointed out.

"Umm...why would you be looking for burns?" Weise blinked. "Because of her ruined cheap jacket?"

Zraiko shook his head. "Learned a little something from my old man in the government. When someone is shot at point-blank range, a burn mark of some kind is left behind on the clothes. It's due to the heat of the gun when it is fired."

"I think I see." I nodded. "Pardon me, but... point-blank means from a very close range, correct?"

"Like if the gun was pressed right to you." Zraiko motioned to me. "Now the issue I have here is...this couldn't be a possible mark if Mei had shot herself in the chest."

"That already sounds weird enough." I held my hands together. "A clean hit to the head would be the most logical, correct?"

"Absolutely." He looked back to Mei's body. "It just...doesn't look like Mei shot herself. And then, there's yet another problem I have."

Weise twiddled his fingers, hoping to help. "Umm...you can't find the bullet?"

Zraiko raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's…actually exactly it. There is an entrance and an exit. If Mei was shot while she was still sitting up…" He pointed to the chair. "The bullet should've made some kind of mark on this chair, if not even gone inside."

I then seemed to realize what he was thinking about. "So what you mean is...Mei was not killed as she sat in this chair?"

Zraiko shook his head. "No. Her body must've been moved here."

Weise looked around the area. "But then...where did she die?"

Zraiko pointed to the fashion designer. "Good question."

I looked around the area to try and spot some clues. There was no trail of blood to show she was dragged...so that means that if she was killed by another person, they would have to have been strong enough to carry her.

Though, unfortunately that wasn't saying much. Mei was the shortest and most lightweight of us, after all. Perhaps even I could have been capable of doing such a thing.

It was then when I spotted a bloodstain. A pretty splattered one, at that. Inside the railing of the second floor platform, a bullet was wedged. Zraiko and Weise walked over to take a look.

"Aha, the bullet has been found!" Weise pointed to the railing.

Zraiko raised an eyebrow. "I disagree."

"H-Huh?" Weise turned to the hacker, surprised. "Is this not a bullet?"

"It is _a_ bullet, yes. But…" Zraiko shook his head. "No, not Mei's. It's too high up to have been the one that struck her."

I held my hands together, saddened. "Then...this is the bullet that hit Kozaki, correct?"

Zraiko nodded.

Weise gulped, then looking around. "Then...where would Mei's bullet be?"

Zraiko pointed to a bloodstain on the floor, close to the stairs leading up to the observatory. "Around here."

The bloodstain looked like a streak. Looking closely, I could even spot a dent in the walls that would seem to be formed by a bullet.

However...there wasn't any. It looked as though it was...plucked out, taken away.

"Ah!" Weise cried out in fear. "We have us a bullet thief!'

Zraiko walked over to investigate the hole, nodding to himself. "Well, it sure damn looks like it hit here."

Hmm...so someone shot Mei around this area with her own gun, kept the bullet, and then placed her in the chair by the desk…

But then...wouldn't that mean…

"Riko?"

I looked over to see Weise tugging my hand. "Ah, Weise? Can I help you?"

The young fashion designer looked to the side, worriedly. "I found something that...doesn't belong in a library."

"What do you mean?" I asked, holding my hands together.

He led me over to a trash can not too far away. "Look, see."

I looked inside to see broken scraps from some sort of device, though I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be. There were plastic parts, metal parts, wires…

What ever could this be?

"Should we take it out?" Weise twiddled his fingers.

"Sounds alright to me." I reached into the trash bin and collected all the scrap pieces. It was almost like a puzzle of some kind. If it weren't for the investigation time limit, I'd sit down and try to piece together what it is right now. I suppose the class trial will be the right time to…

…

I sighed, looking down. That's right. There will be another class trial. A class trial to find out why more of my dear friends have died. I didn't want to accept it at all.

Kozaki was the one to always lead the trials. Now...Now what are we going to do? I do not know if anyone else would be able to step up to pursue the truth in the same way as he did.

…

No time for depressing thoughts now. The investigation is still underway.

"Weise?" I looked to the fashion designer. "Can I trust you to hold on to all these pieces for me? We will need them for the trial."

"Okay!" Weise nodded, semi-confidently.

Now, there was one more thing I wanted to check on the second floor, that being the doors. They were locked from the outside before, when I tried to get in. I walked over to the nearest door to open it, finding it to be unlocked.

Ah?

I then decided to check the other door on the second floor as well. It was also unlocked from the inside.

How peculiar. Now why would this be?

When I observed the locks closer, something didn't quite sit well with me. It looked like someone was rushing to change them, meaning obviously they were different before. When were the locks changed, then...and why?

Well, it seems like this is all I can find on the second floor. It might be time to switch places with the others. Slowly walking downstairs, I could see the other three were about finished as well.

Well...it looked more like they were moping around more than investigating. Kyohi was trying his best to keep notes, but he seemed to be struggling due to the lack of support from the other two.

That being because...of how much sorrow they seemed to be in.

It was a feeling we all shared, to some extent, and perhaps it was...also a biased feeling. Not to dismiss the others who have died, but…

Kozaki touched all of us on a personal level. He tried to involve himself into all of our daily lives here on this Killing Odyssey. Nobody else went out of their way to...befriend us. Certainly not Mei, the lone wolf of our group. Though, to her credit, she did try to care more about us and get herself to be at least a little more social.

But no...nobody else was quite like him. Maybe I felt this way because I was once crushing on him. And yet, at the same time...maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way.

...

Stay focused, Riko. You can lament later after this is over. For now...you need to find the truth of this case.

…

It looked like Fraize and Mikanne were completely unwilling to separate themselves from Kozaki. I pulled Kyohi off to the side to speak with him. "Pardon me a moment, Kyohi."

"What's up, Riko?" Kyohi asked, blinking simply.

"Could you go upstairs to Weise and Zraiko? It seems like we won't be switching as large groups…" I sighed, looking over to the scene around Kozaki's body.

"O-Oh...right." Kyohi nodded. "You've got it."

I watched as the hockey player climbed up the steps, then walked over to kneel besides Fraize. I didn't say a word to him, as I knew it would be bad to disturb him.

"This feeling…" He whispered to me. "I've never felt so much pain before."

I looked to him, then gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I feel like I'm being crushed alive…" He slowly placed a hand on top of mine, then squeezing it. "I don't want to move...all my energy is gone…" His voice then shook. "The pain...it's too much…if only I hadn't left him alone!"

I quietly pulled him into a hug. "...Please rest yourself, Fraize. Allow me to investigate on your behalf."

He slowly hugged me back, resting his head on my shoulder. "What have I done, Riko…?"

I rubbed his back, gently. "You've done nothing, Fraize. This is not your fault. Please...go find somewhere to sit down. If you insist on investigating, please look somewhere else. Perhaps upstairs?"

He slowly pulled away from me, wiping his face. "I have no reason to investigate upstairs."

I suppose he means...he doesn't want to see Mei either. To see the one who...took the life of his lover away…

When Fraize was finally able to stand, he walked over to Mikanne. It looked like Mikanne was reading up on Kozaki's file to himself. He seemed to be extremely confused about it…

Alright, Riko. It's time to have a look at Kozaki.

The first thing I wanted to look closer at was his wound, keeping in mind how Zraiko discussed Mei's body earlier.

There seemed to be no sign of burned marks on his clothes either. Mei shot him from a distance, then.

...Something doesn't seem right about this. I can't see any actual wound on his flesh. His clothes have evidence to show he was shot, but…

Ah, I'm sorry in advance!

Fraize and Mikanne watched me in surprise as I took off Kozaki's top layers. Perhaps they were making judgements of me, but I paid no mind to them.

…

No, there's no sign of a gunshot wound anywhere on his body. There were, however, smudges of some kind of cream on his chest. Both on the front and back sides.

Needless to say, the sight baffled me.

"Umm…" Fraize slowly walked over. "What are you doing?"

Seems like he was willing to investigate a little bit now. Perhaps because of my understandably strange-looking behavior.

"Isn't it peculiar, Fraize?" I motioned to Kozaki's chest. "There's no wound on his body."

He leaned in to see what I was talking about. "You're right." He seemed to be very uncomfortable to be looking at Kozaki's body topless. "He...He doesn't. And there's this cream..."

"Ah?" I tilted my head, lightly. "The smudges on his body, correct?"

"Did you miss it?" Fraize showed me a small bottle of some kind of cream. It looked like he pulled it out from Kozaki's hoodie pocket. "Look."

I took a close look at the bottle. It seemed like it was nearly empty, not to mention squeezed aggressively. "Isn't this...?"

Just then, Monobotto rolled onto the scene. "You-absolute-clowns-! What-are-you-doing-with-that-?"

"This?" Fraize frowned, holding the bottle. "We're investigating it. Go away, why don't you?"

"You-are-not-supposed-to-have-that-!" Monobotto sounded quite peeved. "Where-did-you-find-this-?"

"On Kozaki's person." I answered, calmly. "We are investigating, after all."

"Clowns-! Surrender-it-to-me-at-once-!" Monobotto demanded.

"It's evidence." Fraize shook his head. "We need this for the trial."

"Give-it-to-me." The robot leaned in.

Fraize squeezed his grip on the bottle. "I said I won't give it!"

The robot leaned in even more, becoming cold. It's metallic voice was shrill. "Ramón-Loarte. Give-me-the-bottle."

That caused Fraize to stop. He was silent, dead silent.

Monobotto took liberty in snatching the bottle from his hands. "Thank-you-for-your-cooperation."

With that, Monobotto rolled away.

"Fraize?" I whispered to him, worriedly.

He silently shook his head and waved to me, asking me to continue.

There really wasn't much else to investigate here. The first floor had loads of evidence to show it was on fire at some point, to which I believed was Kozaki's last method of trying to defend himself. This was supported by the fact I found a box of matches on his person.

Unsure of what else could be found, I walked over to Mikanne with Fraize to hear how the childhood friend of Kozaki would feel now.

"Mikanne?" I held my hands together. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head, silently.

"Ah...I should've known better than to ask." I bowed my head. "Please forgive me."

"It's all nonsense, Riko. This whole file." Mikanne squeezed his tablet.

"Huh?" I looked back up, confusedly.

"Something about this is wrong." Mikanne looked to me, frowning lightly. "You know how Kozaki and I grew up together?"

I nodded, slowly. "Yes. What is the problem?"

He looked to the Bottolet file, shaking his head. "There is no such place as Rothica in Pennsylvania."

* * *

"Ah?" I held my hands together. "No such place…?"

Mikanne shook his head. "No...not at all. Kozaki wasn't even from Pennsylvania, assuming he never moved from home after I left."

He wasn't even from Pennsylvania…?

"It's one of the reasons why I doubted it was him to begin with." Mikanne crossed his arms. "Because we grew up together in Ithaca, New York."

I only continued to be more confused. "Then...why did Kozaki say he was from Pennsylvania?"

"No clue." He shook his head, sighing. "I've been meaning to ask, but...looks like I'll never have the chance."

Was Kozaki...lying about himself? But why would he do such a thing?

The circumstances surrounding Kozaki only grew to be more peculiar. I don't know how relevant this issue will be in the trial, but...I'll keep it tucked into the back of my mind just in case.

I took notice of the others climbing down the stairs. Seems like they were done investigating Mei's body. The hacker held her body in his arms, his face showing he was concentrating deeply on something. It seems like he had an idea to share, an idea to share...for the class trial, anyway.

"If we're done here…" Zraiko sighed. "Let's lay them."

Lay them to rest, he means...but I do not want to have them be laid. I want to see them both wake up suddenly, to ask what happened and what was going on. I want to go back...to just even an hour before…

"If-you-are-now-done-investigating-this-body…" Monobotto entered the room and rolled over to Kozaki. "I-will-be-taking-Number-One-now."

What?

"But you can't take Kozaki!" Kyohi frowned. "We are going to bury him with the others! It's what he would've wanted!"

"The-scientists-do-not-care-about-that. I-am-doing-as-I-am-told." Monobotto approached Kozaki. "And-that-is-retrieving-his-body-for-further-study."

How horribly sick and twisted…

"You...You can't do this, _damn it!"_ Fraize looked as though he were ready to break apart the robot. "Get your grubby, mecha hands off of him!"

Monobotto sprouted an extra arm which suddenly transformed into a blast canon of some sort. "Do-not-defy-me-Ramón-Loarte. I- _will_ -be-retrieving-this-body."

"For you to keep experimenting on him, even after he _'s dead?!"_ Fraize looked ready to throw his life at the robot.

"Please, stop!" I ran to the tour guide, taking his hand and squeezing it. "Don't do this, please!"

"And let the robot have its way?!" He turned around, arm moving like it would have smacked me across the face. He stopped himself before being unable to hold back tears. "No...No, we can't let it...we can't let it take him away…!"

I took in a deep breath. "You're right, Fraize. We can't let it take him away."

"Huh?" He looked to me, confused as to how I was agreeing with him.

I then stepped back and frowned to the others. "Everyone, if you would please assist us! Do not let Monobotto take Kozaki away!"

Rather than resorting to violence, we resorted to a unified force of protection. We all formed a circle around Kozaki and joined hands, blocking the robot from coming close.

"Go away, bully robot!" Weise sniffled. "Kozaki promised to protect me, so now I have to protect him!"

"He's not an experiment at all." Kyohi shook his head. "He is our friend. Even after death, we won't let you do anything to him."

"This whole scheme is your doing, isn't it?" Mikanne frowned. "Manipulating the information on his tablet...you're planning something, aren't you?"

"Probably it wants to dissect his body or who knows what." Zraiko scoffed.

Fraize squeezed his hand in mine. "I don't know what your cult wants with him, but you won't be having him!"

"You will leave us, Monobotto!" I nodded. "Please, see yourself out of the library at once!"

There was a short silence only to be cut off by its cold, mechanical chortles. "You-clowns-do-humor-me-so-! This-is-more-entertaining-than-a-circus-act-!"

We were all helplessly shoved away by the robot's arms, the bucket of bolts seizing Kozaki. "Don't-you-forget-who-is-in-charge-here. You're-all-playing-the-game. Understand-?"

It didn't even leave us a chance to fight back as it rolled away rapidly. We hurried to the door to the library to try and catch up, but...Monobotto was already gone…

We were left with a feeling of defeat. No matter how hard we tried to fight back, we were always met with failure. Ending the killing game? It's only wishful thinking now…

I looked over towards Fraize. His fists were clenched, eyes shut tight. I heard him harshly whisper a curse before looking over to me. "We don't have time to waste. Riko, will you come with me?"

"Ah?" I blinked. "To where are we going?"

Fraize motioned towards the back entrance. "I want to retrace their steps. There's a chance we might find some important clues."

I slowly nodded. "Alright, I understand."

"Meanwhile, we'll go lay Mei in the garden." Kyohi sighed, shaking his head. "And then...try to do some extra investigating here, right?"

"I have no arguments there." Zraiko nodded.

Mikanne looked to the side, shaking his head lightly. "I'm going to investigate Mei's room. You won't have enough time to look there in addition to retracing their steps."

I smiled kindly to Mikanne and bowed my head lightly. "Thank you."

With that, I walked out of the library with Fraize. There were a few scarce footprints to follow, meaning we would have to keep our eyes peeled. We walked past the compass, back around towards the dormitory area. That's when we stopped at the Grand Staircase, Mei's ruined jacket still there.

Fraize was muttering under his breath, "I'm going to kill that robot, I'm going to kill that robot, I'm going to kill that-"

"Fraize, please…" I held my hands together. "Let's kill the robot later. We're retracing Kozaki and Mei's steps right now, remember?"

The tour guide sighed and stepped away, lightly. "Sorry...you should take the lead. I'm not...in a good state of mind right now."

I looked to him with a saddened, yet understanding expression before leaning in towards Mei's ruined jacket. The pockets seemed to be empty, the fabric mostly reduced to ash. There didn't seem to be anything else to note on it, so I decided to ask Fraize for a second opinion. "Fraize? What do you think about this?"

Fraize looked at the jacket, then kneeling down to examine it closer. "A match. It looks like a lit match struck the jacket, and that caused it to burn."

"Oh! Good eyes!" I tried to inject him with some positivity. "I didn't even notice."

He showed me a faint smile before it faded away. "Thank you…"

We continued to follow the trace of footprints all the way back to Mei's Shift Room. I recalled how Fraize was investigating it earlier when I first ran into him.

We stepped inside feeling quite uneasy. It seems like this is where the confrontation all began.

"See anything?" The tour guide asked me, voice shaking lightly. It seems he was anxious about what we could find here.

The room seemed to be just fine, nothing out of the ordinary. I've been here plenty of times during Mei's self-defense training sessions, so I was certain that I would've noticed something out of place. "It seems to be just fine…"

Fraize walked around some rocks, investigating every nook and cranny carefully. "It has to be here…"

"It?" I asked him, tilting my head lightly. "What is it that you mean?"

He looked over in my direction. "Didn't you remember? One of the books was missing. Mei could be keeping it to herself."

"In her Shift Room?" I looked around.

"No, but…" He frowned. "She might have brought it here it to Kozaki. It...could've been her motive."

"But why would our book be a motive?" I worriedly felt my skirt.

"It must've told her Kozaki was a threat." He shook his head. "Of course she would respond by seeking to eliminate him."

Seeking to eliminate Kozaki? But...why would he be a threat? This whole time he has been trying to stop the game. I fail to understand…

"There!" Fraize pointed to a tree.

I looked to see a book leaning against the trunk, hidden by bushes. Brushing them away with my hands, I picked up the book and examined the cover. "...Well, this certainly does seem to be our book."

The cover had the title, _Let's Danganronpa: Our Despair Odyssey._

Indeed...that is the title of our 'season' of the killing game series. I recall this from when the motive was first announced.

The back of my mind was telling me to put the book away, that opening it was dangerous. People died because of this, Riko. _Your friends died because of this._

Fraize peeked over my shoulder anxiously as I carefully flipped through the pages. Most of this information was stuff we already knew prior. The details of each 'chapter' of our game, the motives, victims, killers...it was all the information I've seen before.

Until...I got to a chapter at the back of the book about something called Project Zepto. Just as I was about to read it, Fraize took the book out from my hands. "Riko, Wait."

"Fraize?" I asked, worriedly. I didn't understand why he was preventing me from seeing the chapter.

"Please, don't look at this." He looked down. "Kozaki and Mei were involved in this project, like me. I don't want anything to happen to you. You're...my friend."

"But it could be important to the case, Fraize." I insisted. "Please, allow me to read it."

He sighed and looked back to me, looking me in the eyes and shaking his head. "I'll tell you if I see anything important. Let me...Let me please do this."

I grew silent in response, closing my eyes. It could be because of Kozaki, how he feels like he failed to save him. If that is why he is now acting like this, then...it might be for the best to leave him be.

The room was quiet for a good ten minutes before he spoke up again. "A page was torn out, Riko."

That quickly caught my attention. "Ah?"

Fraize showed me the very back of the book. What would have been the last page was indeed absent. The only traces of it ever being there at all were the tiny shreds of paper glued to the book's binding.

"Mei had this." The tour guide frowned, closing the book.

"She did?" I asked him, looking to hear how he knew.

He nodded. "No doubt about it, that page was her motive. She tore it out to prevent anyone from being able to see what was printed there."

"I am positive Mei did not have this paper on her person." I looked to the side. "So...where could it be now?"

Fraize seemed to be in deep concentration. I guess he couldn't come up with a theory at the moment.

"Fraize, might you know what could have been on that page?" I peered at the book.

"Based on the context of what was before this page…" He looked to the side. "It must have revealed the organizer of the cult."

"But why would that lead her to attacking Kozaki?" I pressed him.

Fraize looked back to me, shaking his head. Another thing he couldn't answer.

I sighed, looking to the side for a moment. "Fraize…"

Just as I was about to ask him something else, our Bottolets beeped. The time for investigating...was over.

Now we will have to go to the class trial. We'll have to solve the case and find the truth.

But...can we?

We stood up quickly, I could see Fraize ready to get out of here and leave. I took his hand, biting my lip. "One moment, please…"

He turned back to me, pausing for that one moment.

"...Tell me about why Monobotto called you by another name." I gulped. "It seemed to... _frighten_ you."

Even though he had all the reason to ignore me, as the question was off topic…

He shared his secret with me on the way. And on the way to the elevator, he entrusted me to be the one to solve this case.

"Please, Riko." His voice shook. I've never seen him in such a vulnerable state before. "You have to find the truth, I…"

I gently patted his shoulder. "I promise, Fraize. Let's find the truth together."

* * *

We all gathered around by the trial elevator and stepped inside. The doors shut with a loud, mechanical clang that echoed five folds over. Atleast, that was how it felt.

I was trembling in fear. I thought that the previous trial would be the last one, that we wouldn't be down here yet again.

Weise reached over and took my hand, squeezing it lightly while looking to me with his own expression of anxiety. I squeezed it back, I even felt like hugging him. I wanted someone to hold me, I felt like I was going to give away at any moment.

Fraize took my other hand. His face showing me that he trusted me to solve this case, possibly because he was too heartbroken to handle it himself. I squeezed his hand back, then closing my eyes.

The doors to the trial room opened slowly. I took my place on my podium and looked around, sighing heavily. Kozaki would smile at me before the other trials began. It was something so insignificant, he probably wouldn't give it much thought. But...those smiles reassured me. Now instead of seeing my friend smile at me, I see a portrait of him splattered with blood and decorated with a sickly black ribbon.

Something about this case just doesn't sit well with me. Why was Kozaki's file missing so much information? What really went down in the library? Why did Monobotto insist on taking him away? What is this chilling feeling crawling on my back?

The truth that we are about to uncover in the trial...what does it all mean?

I don't want to believe that my friend is dead. It's too strange.

…

What I am certain is...by the end of this class trial, we may very well bear witness to the collapse of Project Zepto.

 **CLASS TRIAL, START.**

* * *

~Chapter Five, Deadly Life One, End~

~Chapter Five, Class Trial One, Start~


	32. The Collapse of Zepto Trial 1

"Hey, hey, are we there yet?" My little brother asked as he tugged on my hand.

"Not yet." I sighed, having heard this question now for the eleventh time.

We were on our way to the candy store, the one not too far away from my cousin's apartment. We walked by the giant bench and the giant lamp sculptures. It's always funny how the lamp turns on at night. You wouldn't expect it to work, just by looking at it. _Is the giant lamp really going to work?_

But indeed it does, for every night - as far as I can remember - it turns on.

There is also the giant bench, and actually a regular one and a smaller one too. Though the smaller bench isn't as much of an attraction. Usually a parent will have a seat there as they watch their children scramble to climb the larger one. The larger one, simply, is too large for most.

Climbing it isn't impossible, but for someone like a child, it is quite a challenge. When I was little, my father would always have to swoop me up and onto the bench. Now? I am the one doing the swooping as my brother and cousins are too small to make it up on their own.

Though, also as far as I can remember, I've never seen anyone climb up the giant table and chairs. Not even I can do it, despite finally being grown. I suppose you'd need a team of people in order to make the climb.

We walked past the large government building, the Bulgarian flag resting on the wall towards the top. It was another one of those landmarks to follow on the way.

We crossed the busy street, then making our way down the little mall of stores lined up on both sides of the walkway.

The variety of stores was pleasant. There wasn't too much, there wasn't too little. It was just right. Clothing stores, toy stores, an ice cream stall, a newspaper stand, some places to eat. There was a pizzeria not too far away, one that my family always made sure to visit at least once every time we came to visit.

There was also the train station. We didn't really visit it too often, per se. We used to come and go, from here to Sofia. Then we would take a plane back home to Bucharest.

Needless to say, we didn't come over to visit all too often. I'd say three times a year at the most. We'd come for Christmas, Easter, and Grandpa Vitur's birthday. He's too stubborn to leave his property. He hates having to travel, let alone just going to the store. He is dead set on staying cooped up in the house for the rest of his life.

"Can I get ice cream, can I?" One of my younger cousins - Antah - asked, tugging on my hand. "Can I?"

"A-Ah?" I looked to the side. "If you have enough money with you, I suppose you can."

Antah checked her pockets and sighed. "I don't have enough…" She then looked up to me, eyes twinkling. "Won't you help me Riko, please?"

I sighed, shaking my head lightly. "I am sorry, but your mother told me to make sure you are paying for your own treats."

Antah looked down, saddened. "Okay…"

Her older sister, Laura, spoke something in Bulgarian which I could not understand.

"Kakvo?" I asked her, using one of the only Bulgarian words that I did know.

She repeated herself, but that did not do me any help.

"Laura says she will pass on the candy and get ice cream." Antah explained.

I nodded, slowly. "Alright, then."

We walked inside the store, Antah eagerly hurrying over to grab a lollipop. Laura stood beside the door, waiting patiently. My brother, meanwhile, stayed close to me. He held on to the edge of my skirt, wanting me to be the one to walk over to some candy for him.

I walked over to a shelf with cardboard cartons of chocolates. The usual bars with different amounts of coco, some of which would have extra ingredients such as almonds or caramel. My brother always liked the caramel chocolates, but…

"Sŭzhalyavam." The cashier sighed, shaking his head lightly.

My brother looked up to me, saddened. I suppose that meant the store was out for the day, having to stop my brother from reaching over for a bar with almonds in it.

My family doesn't actually know if Kristopher has a nut allergy or not, but we'd rather be safe than sorry. Sometimes he's been completely fine, other times he'd start to have trouble breathing. It just wasn't worth the risk.

It got me thinking if I had any allergies myself. I suppose during the fall and spring I have seasonal allergies, but...I do not believe those allergies will hurt me. I'll just be sneezing for the next half an hour or so.

"Riko?"

I looked over to Laura, using once again the bare amount of Bulgarian I knew. "O-Oh, Laura. Kakvo e?"

"Shte se vidim skoro." Laura then walked away, to an ice cream stall nearby.

"A-Ah…" I held my hands together, then looking to Kristopher in embarrassment. "What did Laura say?"

"She says she'll be back." My brother explained, settling on a lollipop.

"Thank you…" I sighed, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath.

"Do you want some candy?" He asked me. I could feel he was waving his lollipop to my face.

"No thank you." I shook my head slowly, then watching him go pay for his treat.

Oh, how embarrassing it must be to not speak the same language as the rest of your family.

* * *

I was having difficulty with paying attention to what was going on. My gaze kept dancing around the ring of podiums, looking at all the portraits and remembering the faces of the people who used to stand in their places.

"Riko…"

The placeholders that showed that living beings used to stand on those podiums.

"Riko?"

My friends used to stand on those podiums. Now we're back for the fifth time with even less of us. I fear that-

"Riko!"

I looked up to see Kyohi had been calling me. "Ah, Kyohi? What is it?"

The hockey player nervously looked to the side. "U-Uhmm, you have to load your truth bullets. Monobotto is getting impatient…"

I looked over to the throne to see the robot was humming in a rather perturbed manner.

"Oh...my apologies." I sighed, looking down to my own podium screen.

I never liked the glove that was fitted in my hand in these trials. It felt like a weight, like a handcuff keeping me chained in place. After all, taking off the glove will result in immediate disposal of yourself.

I have had a few close calls. The strap of the glove can get awfully itchy…

After loading in all my truth bullets and ignoring the robot's usual opening banter, I found myself to be staring off into space. Looking for something, maybe my lost friends.

But, I would not find them.

"Let's just get this sorted out quickly." Zraiko sighed, shaking his head. "We'll start with the foundationing fact." He took in a short breath. "We _think_ Mei killed Kozaki."

We all uneasily exchanged glances. We _think_ she killed him…?

"Now here is where things get complicated…" The hacker crossed his arms. "His Bottolet file is pretty much blank. We know nothing about his case, **not even how he died."**

 _ **"Please hold on!"**_ I raised my hand to the hacker. "Not even how he died? But was it not the case that Mei shot him?"

"That's what it _sounded_ like." Zraiko looked to the side. "We all heard the sound of a gunshot. Logically we assumed that this was the moment Mei killed him. Right?"

"Umm...yeah, that sounds right." Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "But...it sounds like you're saying that's not the case."

"Well, the Bottolet is holding information on purpose." Zraiko explained his thinking. "So thinking of the most obvious explanation would be wrong to do."

"Hnn…" Weise looked down. "Then...why do you think Kozaki didn't die from Mei's shot?"

Zraiko looked over to me. "Well, Riko? I saw you got a good look at his body. What do you think?"

A-Ah? What do I think? Was this not your proposal?!

No matter...I think I know what Zraiko is talking about. Something about Kozaki's condition was very strange.

 **His actual body didn't have any wounds.**

"When I had a look at his body closely…" I looked to the side. "Kozaki didn't have any bullet wounds on his body. His clothes showed a bullet went through his body...but no, no wound was on his chest at all."

"I was there as well." Fraize looked to the side. "Yes, it was strange. Plus...there was that cream on his skin."

"Cream…" Weise crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks. "I remember that stinky robot was making a big deal out of a cream. Yes, it was being very loud! We could hear it from upstairs."

"This-was-not-just-any-cream-you-clown-!" Monobotto was clearly being vocal about this. "It-was-my-own-special-healing-cream-!"

"Healing cream…" Kyohi looked up. "Hey, you mean the same cream you used before to treat Riko's broken arm? The miracle cream?"

"Miracle-cream-?" Monobotto hummed, offended. "That-cream-is-state-of-the-art-science-!"

I have never heard of such a miraculous cream before coming to this place. If what Monobotto says is fact, why is this cream not being used to treat the wounded back home on Earth?

"We found the cream in Kozaki's possession." The tour guide turned to me. "Right, Riko?"

Ah, it looks like Fraize is starting to come back to being himself again. Perhaps he has a new found motivation to fight to survive?

But...I am having second thoughts. He was so unstable just before. What could this mean? Is he trying to bite down hard to just get over this, or...am I missing something?

"Yes, that is right." I nodded. "It was in his hoodie pocket."

"The question becomes…" Mikanne looked to the side. "Who supplied Kozaki with the cream in the first place?"

We all took part in the following discussion.

"Well, what do we know about this cream?" Zraiko tossed up the question for us.

"We know it can heal wounds. **Even broken bones."** Kyohi felt at his left arm.

"It's kind of unbelievable, no?" Weise twiddled his fingers. "Maybe **the cream is a fake,** and...the wounds are healed with **magic!"**

"You mean like a **placebo?"** Mikanne questioned the fashion designer and dismissing the magical claim.

Weise blinked. "Hnn…? A what?"

Mikanne sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind."

The robot was not so eager to ignore Weise's claim to magic. "You-insolent-clown-!" Monobotto hopped up and down. "Do-not-degrade-such-technological-advancements-like-so-!"

Weise wasn't convinced. "Hnn, no. It must be magic."

Fraize felt at the back of his neck. "My friend, I believe this is a bit far-fetched."

Weise puffed his cheeks. "What else could it be?"

"Let's get back on topic." Zraiko sighed, shaking his head. "Who has access to this cream?"

"Well…" Kyohi looked to the side. **"Kozaki, apparently…"**

Fraize shook his head. "But he must've gotten it from somewhere."

Mikanne shook his head. **"There's nowhere he could've gotten it from.** None of us ever had any contact with the cream unless that robot was involved."

 _ **"One moment, please!"**_ I called out to Mikanne.

He seemed to be surprised. "Is something wrong?"

"I do believe there is a possibility of someone supplying him the cream." I held my hands together. "Though I am not quite sure what the circumstances of this are, I do know this is the most logical possibility."

"And that is?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Monobotto must have given it to him." I nodded. "There is no other explanation."

Mikanne glanced over to the robot. It seemed like he expected some other answer from me, but he never commented on it. Instead, he just watched Monobotto and waited for it to respond.

"You-are-saying-that-it-was-I-?" It asked, tilting its head, lightly. **"I-could-care-less-about-that-clown.** I-would-not-waste-the-cream-on-him."

 _ **"Wait right there!"**_

I looked over to see Fraize was challenging the robot.

"You couldn't care less about him?" He frowned, lightly. "Your actions say otherwise, robot. You care quite a lot about him, in fact."

"Do-I-?" The robot seemed to be enthused.

Fraize nodded. "Ever since the beginning of this game, I've noticed your behavior around him changes. It's not even just me." He looked over to Mikanne. "You knew it too, right?"

Mikanne nodded. "That's right. You would give him, dare I say, special treatment. The way you would approach him, stroke his hair, listen to his commands…" He frowned. "Hell, you're not even trying to hide it."

Monobotto hummed lightly as it spun around slowly. "Are-you-accusing-me-of-bending-the-rules-?"

"I wouldn't call this accusation." Mikanne gripped the rails of his podium. "More like a positive assertion. You had some kind of relationship with Kozaki, didn't you? One you were hiding this whole time. Why else would you take his body away?"

Monobotto stopped spinning and stared, silently.

"Admit it, Monobotto." Zraiko frowned. "We're not idiots. His blank file, you taking his body away, and you expect us to believe what exactly? That you treat him just as anyone else here?"

The bucket of bolts remained silent.

Kyohi worriedly looked down. "Hey...what are you guys saying? That...Kozaki was important to Monobotto?"

Weise shook his head. "No, that can't be right. Kozaki hates Monobotto! The robot wouldn't care at all!"

I looked to the side, feeling my cheek lightly in thought. The more I thought about it, the more that things were starting to line up.

I'm not sure why, but...I do not believe I can deny the fact that Monobotto and Kozaki must've had some kind of a relationship. To what it exactly is, I do not know.

"It didn't even look like Kozaki knew about this." Mikanne pressed his index finger to his temple. "When I would talk to him in private, he always seemed to be confused. Like he himself hadn't even noticed how Monobotto acted towards him."

I wonder...what could this mean?

"Getting back to the topic…" Zraiko reeled us in. "It is clear that Monobotto was involved in this somehow. It explains the blanks in Kozaki's file as well. If the robot isn't going to talk, we'll have to dig up the truth ourselves."

We all nodded to each other in agreement. Yes, it was the consensus that Monobotto provided Kozaki with the cream.

"I think we should take a step back from this." Fraize offered, guiding the discussion along. "If we focus so much on this, we'll get confused. So...right now, let's go over the information we know about Mei." He then smiled, faintly. "I think it will help point us in the direction of the truth."

Ah, I see. Since we have so many blanks for Kozaki's case, we might be able to draw some connections between the vigilante and the former arsonist to get the bigger picture.

"Good thinking, Fraize." I nodded, kindly. "Let us come back to Kozaki later."

"So...what do we know about Mei?" Kyohi asked, tilting his head lightly.

"She's dead." Zraiko replied, bluntly. "How she died is also a question we need to answer."

"But...there is something we do know, right?" Weise blinked. "About how she died."

Ah, Weise is right. There is something we do know about how Mei died.

 **She was shot to death.**

"What we do know what is her cause of death." I nodded to the young fashion designer. "A gunshot wound."

"That's right." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Unlike Kozaki, we could clearly see the wound on her body from where she was shot."

"Then that brings us to the question…" Mikanne glanced to the side. "Who shot Mei?"

In response to Mikanne's inquiry, Zraiko perked up just a bit. "I think now is the time for me to bring up my theory."

* * *

"Your theory, my friend?" Fraize asked, looking over to the hacker.

"That's right. I have been thinking about this ever since I've investigated Mei's body." Zraiko gave a firm nod.

"And to what conclusion have you reached, if I may ask?" I held my hands together.

"To put it simply…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "We have ourselves a grayed."

A grayed? Then that would mean…

"So what you are saying is that…" I held my hands together. "One of us six killed Mei?"

The hacker nodded. "That's right."

"But, but...that can't be right!" Weise shook his head. "None of us could have done it, because...we were all together in the dining room, no?"

Mikanne closed his eyes in thought. "Well...that just might be the problem. We _were_ all together...until we weren't."

Kyohi felt at his left shoulder. "Then...when could one of us have killed her?"

We had a small debate over this issue.

"When you think about it, there aren't a lot of possibilities to when." The hacker shrugged rather simply.

"Such as never?" Weise pouted. "Do you really believe one of us killed her?"

"I don't just believe it." Zraiko insisted. "I know it to be true."

"But this isn't possible." The fashion designer shook his head. **"There wasn't any time where any of us could have killed Mei."**

Fraize crossed his arms and looked to the side. "There wasn't?"

Weise blinked, unphased. "Hnn?"

" **But we were all together at the time Mei attacked Kozaki."** Kyohi knocked on his helmet. " **That means only Mei and Kozaki were involved,** r **ight?"**

Mikanne shook his head. "Sorry, but...unfortunately this is wrong."

"Huh?" Kyohi blinked.

The tour guide didn't make any comment on it, but he nodded to himself as though he was thinking about something.

"Don't you remember?" Zraiko crossed his arms. "What happened after the first gunshot?"

Ah...what happened after the first gunshot?

I took a short moment to collect my thoughts and process the statements of the others. Weise and Kyohi think we were all together at the time when Mei attacked Kozaki. That seems to be right, but…

" _ **Wait right there!"**_

I looked over to Fraize. He seemed to have something to say about this.

"It is true, we were together up until the first gunshot." The tour guide shook his head. "But just after, we all split up. I don't know the full order, but I know I left the room after Zraiko."

The hacker crossed his arms. "That's right. From the time between the first shot and the second shot, **any of us six** could've killed Mei."

 _ **"Please hold on!"**_ I raised my hand, having something to say. "If I may, I do not believe any of us _six_ could've done this."

"You do not?" Zraiko raised an eyebrow to me.

Ah, it makes sense that Zraiko doesn't know about this. After all, he was the first one to leave.

"That is because Kyohi and Weise stayed behind." I nodded to the two. "Underneath the dining table, correct?"

The pair nodded back in response.

"That narrows it down, then…" Mikanne crossed his arms. "Fraize, Zraiko, Riko, and myself. We all ran out of the dining room and were separated."

Then...Mikanne believes one of us four is the culprit.

"Ah, before we start pointing any fingers…" Fraize felt the back of his neck. "I think we should break down Mei's file and condition. It would be bad to miss anything, right?"

"Fair point." Zraiko nodded.

Weise then hopped lightly on his stand. "Mei died on the second floor after Kozaki was killed, right? We found her at 2:35...a little over half an hour since she left the dining room with Kozaki."

...Ah!

"Weise, that is a very good point." I nodded. "There was a half an hour window between when Mei left the room and when we found her."

"Not even that." Fraize looked to the side. "There was a twenty minute gap between when Mei left and when Mei died. So...what happened?"

I took off my fedora to fan myself lightly and clear my head. After taking a deep breath, I returned my fedora to the top of my head and let out a sigh to focus.

 **What happened in the twenty minutes while they were gone?**

In order to answer this question, I'm going to have to break this down into steps!

 **First, why did Mei leave the room in the first place?**

When I think about it, Mei seemed to be rather distracted during the discussion over the book she presented. In fact...she kept glancing over in Kozaki's direction every now and again.

This must have been on purpose…

 **She must have wanted to lure Kozaki over to where she was going.**

But the thing is...where was she going?

Let's think back on it. What places have evidence of Mei being there?

 **The Grand Staircase**.

Ah, that is right. I found Mei's jacket ruined at the bottom of the stairs. That means she must've been there at some point.

However, I feel like there's some other place she was at. Perhaps even the first place…

 **Mei's Shift-Room.**

Yes, I remember now. The door to her room was left open when I first ran into Fraize on the second floor.

Hmm...so if Mei was at her Shift-Room, then ended up at the bottom of the Grand Staircase…

What was going on?

Well, there might only be one logical explanation.

 **Mei was chasing after Kozaki.**

"Here's what I think happened." I straightened my posture. "Mei was chasing Kozaki around the entire Killing Odyssey, looking to kill him. The chase must have lasted less than twenty minutes, as after all she died at 2:20."

Mikanne nodded along as he listened. "I agree, Riko. I think she may have chased him for a good ten minutes. After all, there must've been room to kill her, right?"

Ah...that makes sense.

"There's something else to mention." Fraize placed his hands to his hips. "She was feeling regret and relief, right? Then...there's only one thing that means."

"Only one thing…?" I tilted my head, lightly.

Fraize frowned. "Mei killed Kozaki. That was her regret. Her relief was receiving consequences for her actions."

"This again?" Zraiko frowned, shaking his head. "We don't have enough evidence to say for certain that Mei killed Kozaki. After all, his file-"

"I don't care about that file." Fraize glared at Monobotto. "For all we know, it's filled with lies to cover up something."

"Accusing-me-again-?" Monobotto seemed to be amused. "Such-a-foolish-thing-to-do."

Fraize shook his head and pointed to Zraiko. "Draw with me, Zraiko."

"What?" The hacker was caught off guard. "You can't be serious…"

"But I am." The tour guide refused to back down. "Mei killed Kozaki. I _know_ she did."

The way he put an emphasis on his words told me he truly believed in what he was saying. It was like he inherited Kozaki's fire, his eyes blazing in a glare.

I held my breath as I watched the two go head-to-head in a Truth Bullet Quick Draw. It was always so nerve-wracking to stand on the sidelines and watch my friends battle it out together.

This time was no different. The two of them were fierce, evenly matched. It was hard to keep focus on their discussion because of how incredibly fast they were.

Then, Fraize started to pull ahead. It grabbed my attention, I stood on my tippy-toes to listen closely to his words.

"Mei wanted to reveal to Kozaki the truth before killing him. It's why we found our book in her Shift-Room." Fraize pointed to Zraiko. "She must've revealed something he had a connection to, and wanted to kill him because he was a threat!"

And just like that...Fraize won the quick draw. It happened faster than I could even process it.

According to Fraize, Mei lured Kozaki out from the dining room and confronted him in her Shift-Room. She chased after him throughout the Killing Odyssey. He tried to fight back, flicking a match towards her and thus having her coat catch fire. She continued to chase after him, eventually leading him into a trap in the library...where she would end his life.

…

What a cruel way to die, in fear…

"I think that means Fraize is right, right…?" Kyohi asked. "That Mei killed Kozaki."

The hacker frowned. "Alright...if nothing contradicts this claim, then I concede."

"But what about Kozaki's file?" Weise asked, worriedly. "Why would the robot be hiding this?"

"Well, you could try to ask it." Mikanne sighed, shaking his head. "But...I think by this point it is clear that Monobotto has no interest in answering you."

I looked over to observe the robot. It seemed to be distracted by something, as though it was listening to someone else speaking to it.

…

What could this mean?

Weise then raised a hand. "Then, we need to keep discussing the evidence, right?"

"That's right…" Mikanne nodded, calmly looking around the room. "If everyone is ready to continue, I'd like to share some things I have found."

I see. Now would be a good time to ask Mikanne about his findings in Mei's room.

"Mikanne?" I turned to the tattoo artist. "Could you please share your findings? I am ready to continue."

He looked to the side as he pulled out something from his pockets. A folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it and showed us its contents. "Have a look."

The Spanish words shifted into Romanian as I squinted my eyes, the strange translation program at work. I read out the passage to myself, and what I found was surprising.

 _There is a traitor among us. One of us here has been lying about their talent and who they are. I don't know if they even know who they are. After all, all of our memories could have been fabricated given the nature of this Project Zepto business. The one tasked with protecting Erito's nephew...if I'm not smart about this, then the protector will kill me first._

"There were other papers, but they didn't seem to stand out as much as this." Mikanne looked down. "Just scraps of paper with scribbles all over it. It looked like Mei was trying to come up with a plan for how she would carry out her crime so that this _protector_ wouldn't be able to stop her."

We took a moment to process this. Kyohi then spoke up. "Then...who is this protector? And...who were they protecting?"

I'm not sure if I can answer who the protector is quite yet, but I might have an idea as to who the person being protected was.

 **Mei's target.**

Indeed. By the way she wrote this passage, she knew that her target would be protected by someone. Why is that?

 **Her target was related to Erito Hajimoto.**

Mei was a vigilante. Perhaps her thought process was that by eliminating Erito's nephew, the game would end.

Then...that person, Erito's nephew was…

 **Kozaki.**

Mei targeted Kozaki because she found out about his familial relationship to Erito Hajimoto.

I wonder why he never recognized his uncle as Erito. Perhaps because his uncle was keeping it secret.

But...why would his own uncle place his own nephew into a killing game?

I suppose that is something we will uncover later.

"I believe I finally understand Mei's motive." I worriedly looked to the side as I held on to my fedora. "And that is...Kozaki was the nephew of Erito Hajimoto."

* * *

"W...W-What?!" Weise asked, shocked. "Kozaki was the nephew of Erito Hajimoto?!"

"If our evidence is all true, it has to be it." I gulped. "Mei killed Kozaki because of his relationship. Because he was a threat, and...I do not believe this was something he even knew himself."

"B-But...that means Kozaki is the nephew of the mastermind!" Weise shook his head. "That can't be right, because...because he should have recognized Erito's name!"

Fraize looked away. His facial expression seemed to be in pain, but...he was also quite calm. It seems like this was what he was theorizing this whole time, and...being proven to be correct...

"At the end of the day, Kozaki was the one to be protected…" Mikanne looked to the side. "...I knew it. I knew it, this whole damn time. The way Monobotto would treat him, the way this whole damn place had connections with him just below the surface…" He frowned. "And those experiments, I should've known right away."

"What do you mean, Mikanne?" I asked him, worriedly.

He turned to me. "His uncle, his name isn't Erito Hajimoto. It was a cover name he came up with when...he was in his own killing game."

His own killing game…?

Mikanne looked around the room to each of us. "When Kozaki and I were younger, his uncle was always popping in and out from some kind of job in Japan. A job he had landed just at around the time of Kozaki's birth. He would bring in money, a _lot_ of money. None of his family knew what kind of job this was, but they never questioned it because his uncle was keeping them financially afloat."

Weise twiddled his fingers. "What was this job, and...what do you mean his own killing game?"

Mikanne looked over to the fashion designer.

I think I can answer about his own killing game.

 **Season 38.**

"Recall one of the sheets of paper we received from the motive." I held my hands together. "Season 38 of _Danganronpa._ That was the season where Erito Hajimoto, the blackened, won the killing game."

Mikanne nodded to me. "That's right. Remember what happened after he won?"

I looked to the side in thought. What happened after Erito Hajimoto won the game?

 **He was offered a job at** _ **Team Danganronpa.**_

"Erito Hajimoto worked for _Team Danganronpa_ next." I nodded. "Besides the astounding amount of prize money he received, it's no surprise he had a surplus of money."

The tattoo artist nodded again. "That's right."

Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "I remember the paper said his talent was...the Super-Highschool-Level Psychologist."

Mikanne nodded again. "His real name is Haiji. Haiji Daisuke."

I took off my hat and hugged it gently. "I believe Kozaki told me once about the story of his family. It was perhaps three weeks ago. He mentioned to me lightly about the call he had with his uncle in the Loved One's Call."

"What did he tell you?" Zraiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He was surprised that neither of his parents were available, not even his attorney. Thus, he decided to make a call with his uncle." I nodded, slowly. "He told me he hadn't spoken to his uncle in years, ever since he was kicked out from the family for working for-"

"Lies." Mikanne frowned, cutting me off. "It's lies, Riko."

I slowly turned to him. "Lies?"

Mikanne took in a deep breath. "That's what he wants everyone to think. His mind games and all. This...This was never even about _Danganronpa_ in the first place."

We all gave Mikanne our utmost attention.

"You remember what that man's talent was, right?" The tattoo artist pressed his index finger to his temple. "Well...what if I told you he kept developing his talent even after the game was over?"

"Kept developing his talent?" Fraize asked, feeling the back of his neck. "Do you mean he continued to study psychology?"

Mikanne bitterly shook his head. "He didn't just study with books. He studied on people." He then looked over to Kozaki's portrait. _"He studied on his own nephew."_

"W-What do you mean by studied?" Weise asked, nervously trembling in place. He looked as though he would chew his nails, but stopped because it would be ill-mannered of him.

"I mean his uncle performed experiments on him when he was younger." Mikanne explained. "Kozaki used to come to me in private to vent. He was scared, he didn't know who else to turn to. His own uncle was threatening to kill his parents if he ever told. Of course...he believed him." He then closed his eyes shut. "That man had already gotten people killed in the past. He used to remind Kozaki about that all the time. He would tell him that he'd do it again unless he was a good, obedient child."

Fraize shook his head, seeming upset by this information. "But this makes no sense...Kozaki never mentioned this at all. In truth, it didn't even look like he had those memories to begin with."

"That's why I didn't know if I could trust him, that's why I didn't know if this was the real Kozaki." Mikanne looked down. "But...his uncle could've been behind this lack of memory, too...he might've even fabricated his entire childhood to erase all those cruel experiments he did."

The fashion designer was quivering. "C-Cruel experiments? What did he do?"

"Something he used to do a lot was push Kozaki to the edge of death and pull him back." Mikanne sighed. "I remember a lot of the times when he would come over to play and...there would be bruises on his neck. Deep ones, too. His uncle would choke him just long enough to see the whites of his eyes…" He gripped the railing of his podium, shaking lightly. "They'd make lie after lie over what caused these awful injuries. But those lies wouldn't hold any longer. His parents found out...in probably the worst way possible."

I closed my eyes to picture what was happening as Mikanne explained the story. One day, his uncle had choked him too strongly and caused him to pass out and even stop breathing. Panicked, he called for an ambulance and Kozaki was taken to the hospital emergency center. His uncle was going to head there when Kozaki's parents arrived from their outing together. That was when they discovered the truth of these experimentations, then kicking out Haiji for the horrible things he had done to their son. Once they arrived at the hospital, Mikanne and his family were already there in the patient's room with Kozaki.

…

The expenses to pay for his treatment were outrageous. Now that Haiji was cut from the family, they no longer could be kept afloat. So...they spent everything they had...slamming the family into poverty.

For a while, the Aiyaga family would support them in any way they could. But...they weren't able to continue once they moved to Japan. Ever since, the family has been struggling to have just enough money.

"But...how do we know if you're telling the truth?" Kyohi asked, confused. "Kozaki never seemed like he was lying about who he was. He didn't look like he was hiding anything from us, either."

"It's another one of Haiji's experiments." Mikanne frowned, nodding with certainty. "He must've somehow tapped into his brain and manipulated his memories so he would remember a childhood he never lived."

"You're telling us all of this now?" Fraize seemed to be somewhat angered by this revelation. "You knew all of this was the truth this whole time, and you hid it from us? You hid it from _him?!"_

Mikanne shook his head. "I never wanted to hide it. Monobotto wouldn't let me tell the truth...so as long as Kozaki would have a chance of finding out…"

I glanced over to the robot, eyeing at it critically. It seemed to be nodding I'm affirmation. _This_ was Mikanne's biggest secret.

This only seemed to anger Fraize more. His hands shook as they gripped his podium. " _As long as he was still alive, you mean?!"_

Mikanne looked down. "That's not what I meant, Fraize. I-"

"You knew him longer than any of us!" Fraize looked up, then pointing to Mikanne. "You were best friends once, weren't you?! Yet you let him live in a lie here. You let him die without knowing who he was!" He felt at his face. "Do you know how many times he would talk to me about this? He would say, 'Fraize, I'm scared. I feel like I'm losing myself here. I don't even know who I am anymore. Am I Kozaki, am I Zaki, am I Number One, am I just a cultist's plaything?'" He was on the verge of tears. "Do you know...how much he was suffering? All he wanted was the truth…but you kept it from him..."

Mikanne looked like he was going to rebuttal, but he hesitated. He might've said Monobotto would've killed him, he might've said Kozaki would've been better off not knowing the truth. But, no. He said nothing at all.

…

"...Why?" Fraize spoke up again, softly. "Why would his uncle...do something like this?"

Mikanne took in a deep breath and looked away. "Revenge. That's what I could gather. He wanted revenge on his parents, but for what...that's something even I don't know."

The room grew silent for a short while. None of us really knew how to continue from here at all.

"...But, then what does this mean?" Kyohi asked, feeling his left shoulder as he spoke up. "Kozaki was put here into the game by his own uncle...was this another test of some kind? And his uncle placed someone here to protect him?"

"I see the picture now." Zraiko looked down, his face holding a bitter expression. "The one being protected wasn't Kozaki. It was Erito's precious psychological experiment."

"Then...someone - one of us six - was placed into this game to protect Kozaki?" Weise asked, looking around the room. "One of us is lying about our talent and our identity?"

"It's not even just that…" Zraiko took off his glasses and felt at his forehead. "That very same 'traitor' might not even know it is them."

"And if we can't correctly vote for the blackened _and_ the greyed…" The hockey player gulped. "We'll die...except for whoever this traitor is…"

Fraize looked up. "Even if this person doesn't know they are the traitor...I am sure they would never forgive themselves for that."

So there's no way to know which of us was meant to be Kozaki's protector? Memories being changed, twisted, taken away, replaced...none of us may be who we really are right now. The thought is quite frightening.

Have I been someone else this whole time? Could it be that I am really another person, that I can't remember who she is?

I looked at my hands while biting my bottom lip, lightly.

One of us has a different talent than what we are aware of. One of us has a different identity. One of us is...a traitor.

A traitor? That title is hardly fair at all. I'm certain that whoever this traitor may be, they didn't wish to bring any harm to us. Traitor, it's such a negative word. Kozaki's protector was a traitor?

I will not believe it as such.

* * *

"Let's cut to the chase here. Mei knew that there was a protector who would stop her from killing Kozaki." Mikkane sighed, crossing his arms. "And well, as it turns out...someone has killed her.

Ah, then could it be that means the protector is the grayed of this case? Even if the protector didn't know that was their role...by now they must've realized who they are.

"Let's stop with this game, then." Zraiko put his glasses back on. "The traitor is the greyed, which means they are either Riko, Mikanne, Fraize, or myself. We are not allowed to confess if we killed Mei. We don't have any actual evidence to lead us to a single person. That means…" Zraiko closed his eyes. "This case might be unsolvable as it is."

"Are we going to be stuck in this class trial forever?" Weise whimpered, softly.

"I mean…" Kyohi crossed his arms. "Surely Monobotto would let us eat and go to the bathroom, right?"

The robot didn't respond, only continuing to glare at us. It looked like it was no longer distracted.

"I'm sure that whoever the protector is, he or she really wants to admit the truth." Fraize looked to the side, saddened. "But...Monobotto won't allow them to speak. All for the drama, the views…"

"The money." Zraiko frowned. "What does a cult even need all this money for?"

Mikanne worriedly pressed his fingertips to his temple. "You don't think those cultists are building some kind of...doomsday machine, right?"

"Please. That sounds like something out of a movie." The hacker was dismissive.

I sighed and closed my eyes while covering my face. This case...it feels hopeless. I'm sorry, Fraize. I know I promised that I would find the truth with you, but...I don't have a clue who would be Kozaki's protector.

…

If only he was here, right now. What would be say? What would he do?

Find the truth...even if it hurts...don't look away.

Keep going forward. We haven't discussed everything yet! There's no way we can say we're trapped as it is!

I took in a deep breath before nodding slowly to myself. I need to accept the fact that one of us six was tasked as being Kozaki's protector. I need to start looking at everyone, one by one!

Kozaki, if only you could see me now, if only you were here standing with us, what would you say?

…

'I won't look away.' that was what you would always say, right?

Well...now it is my turn to face the evidence head-on!

"I have a big issue we haven't yet covered!" I raised a hand. "Our book, it was found in Mei's Shift-Room, correct?"

Fraize nodded. "That's right."

"But it was not blank, like the others." I stood up firmly in my stand. "For the other books, they all had invisible ink which required a black light in order to read. Why, then, was our book not the same?"

Fraize's eyes widened just a little. He looked to the side, squeezing his fists lightly. "I never even gave it a second thought…"

I closed my eyes, shaking my head lightly. It's coming back to me, now. I remember Kozaki once told me about a blank book in his possession. Three weeks ago, but two days or three after the motive reveal, Kozaki reminded me about how he was asleep in the library with a blank book cracked open. I remembered it, I was there to witness it.

That book, he told me, was destroyed by Monobotto.

That book, he told me, had information on Project Zepto while the rest of the pages were blank.

That book, he told me, must have been our book.

And yet, our book was destroyed by Monobotto. How, then, could Mei have obtained it?

It only means one thing.

"This is the item Mei requested for her murder plan." I took in a deep breath. "She asked for a copy of our book which was legible, as the original version was destroyed."

The others all looked over in my direction.

"Which means...if this was the thing that Mei asked for…" I felt at my chin. "How was her gun loaded?"

The others then all exchanged glances with each other.

"This whole time, we must've assumed that the item Mei asked for was a pack of bullets." I held my hands together and gave them a firm nod. "But this cannot be the case. There is no other explanation as to how she could've gotten a copy of our book. That means…"

"That means...we have to find out who provided her with the bullets?" Kyohi asked. "But...how could any of us have given them to her?"

I closed my eyes, shaking my head to try and think. Puzzle Room Prize is off the table. That means there must have been some other place where prizes could be obtained.

…

Like an arcade.

"Whoever received those bullets could have won them as an arcade prize." I nodded again. "They then gave them to Mei, as she would be the only one with a use for them. Perhaps she would use them to protect us, this person may have thought. She would use them wisely, wouldn't she? However...this was their biggest mistake."

"What are you saying, Riko?" Mikanne asked, trying to keep up with me.

"Realizing their mistake…" I took off my fedora to take in a deep breath. "The person who received those bullets in the first place must also have been the very same person who would go on to kill Mei!"

The room was silent. I took the time to explain everything, every step of my thinking. I explained the situation with the books, I explained my thinking behind the bullets Mei had.

"Then...who was the person who won the bullets in the arcade prize?" Kyohi asked. "I don't think any of us could have...weren't we all busy train-"

 **CLANG.**

My train of thought stopped upon hearing the sounds of metal scraping loudly.

"W-What was that?" Weise nervously clutched his podium. He then quickly crouched down from the sound of a loud clang. "I-Is that a monster that's going to eat us?!"

We all anxiously looked around, trying to pinpoint the origin of the sound.

It was coming from the elevator.

With much fear for what would be awaiting us, we all fixed our eyes on the elevator doors.

 **Clicka clacka clicka clacka screech!**

It was silent for a moment before the doors slowly pulled open.

What was behind those doors...left us in shock.

He stumbled out, clutching his face with one hand. All of his top layers were off, there seemed to be suction cups on his chest that were ripped off from some kind of machine. He was asking for help, please someone. It hurts, it hurts so much. Help me, get me out of here.

His eyes kept fluttering open and closed, as though he was passing out and waking up over and over again. They were phasing between colors as well, his usual maroon eyes and the unnatural, golden eyes.

Please, help me. They're coming for me, I'm scared. I don't want to go with them.

Silence filled the air before we all got off our podiums and hurried over. Fraize pulled him into a tight hug and couldn't hold back tears. Weise and Kyohi happily jumped up and down around him, hoping to get his attention. Mikanne and Zraiko stood back, cautiously.

I waited. I didn't want to rush into a judgement. It felt too convenient, it felt like a trap. But...

"Guys…" His voice shook. "Don't let them take me...please…"

"Of course not, those monsters will never lay a finger on you again." Fraize buried his face into his shoulder. "I knew it...I knew you weren't dead. The cream worked, of course you weren't dead. Bastards, they set it up to take you away from us."

He closed his eyes and rested in the embrace. He didn't say a word.

After a brief moment of silence, Zraiko showed an awkward smile. "Welcome back."

He looked up and wiped his face, nodding slowly.

"This is great!" Kyohi grinned. "Kozaki is back!"

"Now all we have to do is find out who killed Mei and we can all leave!" Weise puffed his cheeks. "And go back to waiting for help!"

…

Ah? Find out who killed Mei?

But...if Kozaki is actually alive and here with us, and Mei is still dead…

"We just have...one problem." Zraiko gulped, looking away. "And that is...the grayed of this case is now actually the blackened."

"And...that means…" Mikanne bit his lip. "One of us will be executed."

…

All the happiness we just gained from our friend's return was mercilessly swept away.

Fraize slowly pulled back from Kozaki. His face seemed to show and expression of horror. "Then...someone is going to die... _very soon…_ "

Kozaki didn't seem to be completely here, mentally. It was like he couldn't process what death meant, only silently and blankly looking around us. He reached out a hand before feeling at his face and closing his eyes. His hands covered his mouth quickly as he began to violently gag, then even passing out for a short while.

I quickly felt at his forehead, worriedly. "He must be so exhausted...we have to allow him to rest."

Fraize nodded and sat Kozaki down onto the floor. He used his own body to support his body, Kozaki resting back into the tour guide's chest while trying to breathe steadily.

Zraiko frowned to Monobotto. "Hey, nuthead, do something why don't you? Your secret's out, we know you're in cahoots with this. Are you just going to let your precious test subject suffer like this infront of everyone? You've probably got loads of that cream to spare."

Monobotto coldly climbed out from its throne. "This-was-not-supposed-to-happen."

"Boohoo, bully robot!" Weise spat a raspberry at the bucket of bolts.

Monobotto ignored the fashion designer, coming extremely close to Kozaki. Its voice then...changed. Instead of the robotic hummings we were used to, a man's voice came through instead. "You just couldn't be a good, obedient boy...you couldn't just do what you were told...now look at you. Running away again. Are you having fun, Kozaki? Is this all a little game for you?"

Kozaki seemed to be incredibly distressed. Whoever this voice belonged to, he was afraid of it. Perhaps it was...the voice of his uncle.

"You don't understand anything, now do you? If you know what's good for you and your _friends_ then you will come back right now and finish what we started."

The way there was an emphasis on the word _friends_ made me quite nervous.

"You miserable, ungrateful child!" The voice roared. "Do you have any idea what-?!"

 **YANK.**

We looked over to see Mikanne pick up the robot, staring deeply into its glassy eyes. "Come and get him if you dare, then. We're waiting for you. All of us."

After a short silence, the man's voice had disappeared and had been swapped back in with Monobotto's usual mechanical hums. "Mikanne-Aiyaga. Would-you-be-so-kind-as-to-put-me-down-?"

He slowly did as told.

Monobotto took a moment to observe Kozaki. "The-trial-cannot-continue-like-this."

"Does this mean the trial is off and we can all leave?" Weise asked, feeling hopeful.

"No." It replied, simply. "I-have-no-choice-but-to-put-the-trial-on-hold-until-he-is-stable."

We watched as Monobotto rolled away, possibly to receive instructions on what to do.

Meanwhile, Kozaki was still doing his best to breathe normally. He was shaking quite a lot still, I gathered it to be because of fear.

Mikanne knelt down and made direct eye contact with him. "Tell us what happened."

Kozaki felt at his head, shaking it lightly before looking up. His eyes stopped changing colors, they were now his deep maroon eyes once more. "I can't remember."

He cannot remember?

"What the hell do you mean you can't remember?" Mikanne pressed him. "You just came out from the elevator. What happened just before that?"

He slowly shook his head.

Zraiko then looked around to all of us. "We need to be cautious of this. For all we know, this is a trap. That robot took Kozaki from the crime scene and clearly had the intention of doing something to him. He could be bugged by his uncle."

"My uncle?" He asked, confusedly.

"Playing devil's advocate here." Zraiko crossed his arms. "You could be a clone, or...something planted in by those cultists. You might not be the real Kozaki. How are we supposed to validate your identity here? Your appearance...it's too convenient."

The former arsonist looked away, as though he was developing his own doubts over himself. "I…"

"Come on, Zraiko. That stuff sounds like it's coming from a movie." Fraize gently hugged Kozaki. "This is him. I know it is."

"How can you know?" The hacker asked, bewildered.

The tour guide hummed to himself. "Well...I'm sure you'll find out."

Ah? What was that supposed to mean?

Well, the hacker didn't bother in questioning him. "Alright, whatever…"

Fraize slowly stroked his hair, trying to help calm him. "You're safe with us, Zaki."

I couldn't tell how effective his comforting was as I noticed the tour guide himself was shaking. He looked like he was trying to push his own fears are far away as he could to make sure he could be here for Kozaki now.

Kozaki looked behind him, slowly. He showed a faint smile, his body finally relaxed. "Thank you, Fraize…"

In response, Fraize gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'm not going to let those bastards near you. I promise you."

Kozaki slowly looked around, now starting to try to piece together what was going on while he was absent. "...Where's Mei? Did you say she was... _killed?"_

I kneeled down next to the former arsonist as the others nodded, silently.

"One of us...killed her?" He bit his lip. "Someone else is going to die now?"

An uncertain silence.

"Hey, Kozaki should sit this trial out." Kyohi felt his left shoulder. "Besides, it's obvious _he_ couldn't have killed Mei, right?"

Zraiko shook his head, lightly. "His testimony might be vital. We may need him to solve the case."

"But he doesn't know anything about what happened after he was shot, no?" Weise worriedly twiddled his fingers. "So...how could he help?"

Mikanne looked to the side. "We need every bit of information we have, but...he can't stand in trial. Not like this. He needs rest."

I turned to watch over Kozaki. Even though he was breathing normally again, he still seemed to be fading in and out.

There is no way he can stand in trial. Not like this.

His eyes lined up with mine, smiling at me weakly. "Riko…"

"Ah?" I held my hands together. "What is it?"

He nodded, lightly. "I just...felt like I had to thank you. So...thank you, Riko."

I smiled lightly in return. I was not quite sure what he was thinking me for, and it seems neither was he. "You are welcome, Kozaki."

Not too long later, Monobotto returned. It removed the suction cups from his chest, then giving him a clean set of clothes - a copy of his usual outfit. Monobotto gave him an injection of some kind, causing him to be energized rapidly. Perhaps it was that same injection we received from Anne's trial.

Kozaki tried to stand up, but stumbled slightly and remained on the floor. Monobotto then rolled back to its throne to continue its communications with what I imagine to be members of the cult.

"Understood." Monobotto looked over all of us. "There-will-now-be-a-thirty-minute-recess. You-may-use-this-time-to-use-the-bathroom. You-may-use-this-time-to-play-thumb-wars. I-do-not-care. The-trial-will-then-resume-and-Kozaki-Daisuke-will-take-the-stand."

…

I have a feeling once this class trial resumes...we will be forced to confront one of the hardest truths of them all.

 **CLASS TRIAL SUSPENDED.**

* * *

~Chapter Five, Class Trial Part One, End~


	33. The Collapse of Zepto Trial 2

It has been about a week since Sayino's death. I decided to use most of my free time in my Shift Room, practicing my clarinet while trying to make myself feel at home in an environment of a music room. A grand piano resting upon its own stage, music stands lined up, instruments waiting in their respective cages to be played…

Though...being alone in a music room was never any good. I needed to be around other people.

…

No better people to seek company in than your friends. I invited them over to spend time with me after lunch, though not all could attend. Mikanne was spending time with Mei reading the books of the library. Zraiko was spending a lot of time in the arcade with Kyohi. That's not to say they were spending their time together, it was more like they were sharing the same activity space. Zraiko would be watching anime on one side while Kyohi would be playing games on the other. I do believe on occasion they have tried to do activities together, but...their personalities do not mesh well, for the most part. If I recall correctly, they were going to be watching anime today, Zraiko's pick. The hockey player has told me that he didn't mind as long as they could try to become better friends.

That left the other three, who were more than happy to accompany me.

And quite so, just after lunch did they show up. Kozaki, Fraize, and Weise. The young fashion designer looked around in awe. "Ohh...it's so cool!"

"A music room…" Fraize crossed his arms with a smile. "I think it fits you quite well."

"Ah...thank you." I smiled softly.

"Ooh, look at these!" Weise walked over to a set of crash symbols. "They make all those loud crashing sounds!"

"Do you want to try them out?" I offered to him.

The young fashion designer looked up to me with twinkling eyes. "Oh, please!"

I watched as he attempted to pick up the pair. However, they seemed to be incredibly heavy for him.

Fraize and Kozaki wandered around. The tour guide looked over to me. "Do you come here often?"

"Well, ever since I have gotten my clarinet back…" I smiled, walking over to a case and opening it. There it was, my clarinet.

"You keep it stored in your Shift Room?" Kozaki asked, surprised.

"Mhm." I smiled. "I asked Monobotto if it would be allowed. After all...it is a room for the purpose of using my talent, is it not?"

Kozaki nodded. "I guess that makes se-"

 **CRASH!**

We looked over to see Weise smiling while holding the pair of cymbals. His eyes were still twinkling. "Wasn't that so cool?"

"That was...so loud." Fraize rubbed his forehead lightly.

"But that's the point!" Weise puffed his cheeks. "See?"

 **CRASH!**

"Y-You can stop that now, my friend…" Fraize then held his ears.

"Aww…" Weise put the cymbals back onto their stand.

"Kozaki?" I looked over to the former arsonist. "Does something interest you?"

He pulled his hands back from a case in embarrassment. "S-Sorry about that. I've always wondered what it would be like to...play an instrument."

I couldn't help but smile. "Oh, but then please do."

"Really?" He seemed to be excited on the low key.

I giggled while nodding lightly. "Of course."

He turned back to the instrument case and picked up a guitar. "My dad used to play this, when I was little. I want to try it out for myself."

I watched as he gently strummed the guitar, testing the waters. It seemed like he was trying to recall how his father had played it.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, noticing how he seemed to be out of focus.

"O-Oh...yeah, I'm fine." He looked down, returning the guitar. "I guess...I'm just missing them, my parents. I couldn't even call them during that loved one's whatever. They didn't pick up. I ended up talking to my uncle instead."

"Ah, I see...I apologise." I held my hands together.

He looked back up to me. "I'm scared, Riko. I'm scared that I'll never see them again. What if I forget how they even look like?"

I placed a hand onto his shoulder to comfort him. "Don't lose faith, Kozaki...we just have to keep holding on."

He closed his eyes. "What if I forget how it feels like to have my mom hold me close? To hear her sing gently to me before bed? What if I forget how it feels to laugh with my dad? To play outside in the forest with him calling out to me to be home before dinner?"

I looked down, not finding any words. I didn't know what I could say to him.

But...maybe I could…

 _"...Life is like a rollercoaster, oh, isn't it? It's fast, it's got twists and turns. Your body bolts, your hands burn…"_ I began to sing, softly. _"But you have to bite down, you have to hold tight...you have to keep moving on."_

Kozaki looked over to me.

 _"You don't have to hold your head down low…"_ I smiled. _"Lift your eyes up and watch the world go."_

"Oh, I know this song!" Weise smiled, bouncing lightly. _"And I will carry you through the darkness, the deepest of tunnels. I'll lead you forward into the light. So take my hand through the night as we race through the highest of nights…"_

"Ah, this is the song that was always on the radio back home." Fraize perked up, lightly. _"Like a rollercoaster, oh woah, I will take you on a ride. A thriller that makes your heart race, a world beyond the twinkling stars out in space. Chase the comet's tail with me, let's go! What are you waiting for?"_

Kozaki looked around to us before smiling. _"And I will carry you through the darkness, the deepest of tunnels. I'll lead you forward into the light. So take my hand through the night as we race through the highest of nights…"_

 _"Like a rollercoaster, oh woah…"_ I smiled back at him. _"I will take you on a ride."_

…

"I really like that song." Weise smiled, pridefully. "I got to see the band play it in concert."

Fraize felt at the back of his neck. "I hear that song quite a lot back home. I'm surprised you all knew it, too."

"It makes sense." Kozaki chuckled. "It was the number one worldwide hit for the past three months before we...disappeared." He looked to the side. "I wonder...what song is top of the charts right now?"

I giggled, lightly. "We'll find out once we get home."

The former arsonist looked back to me, smiling brighter. "Yeah...you're right."

We then sat down together to talk about various topics that would flutter about. Meanwhile I would also be practicing my clarinet.

"The other day Kozaki made a _biiiiiiig_ bonfire in his Shift Room!" Weise raised his arms up in excitement. "He said it was like going camping, and we made smores together! They were so good!"

Kozaki sheepishly smiled. "I-I'm glad you enjoyed it, Weise…"

I put down my instrument and held it gently in my lap. "Hehe, then I suppose you are truly the Super-Highschool-Level Camping Instructor." I teased him.

"C-Come on, Riko. That is too ridiculous for words." He chuckled. "Camping Instructor? Nah, no way. I can't handle children."

Fraize nudged Kozaki on the shoulder. "You seem to handle Weise well."

"I am not a child!" The young fashion designer pouted.

I gently patted him on the head. "Maybe so, but you are quite young-spirited."

"Hmph!" Weise crossed his arms. "You see me when I work in my Shift Room! A child could not handle _my_ craft!"

We all laughed, lightly.

"All this talk of Shift Rooms...I feel out of place." Fraize chuckled while scratching the back of his head. "I've never been to mine before, as far as I can remember."

"Ah?" I looked over to him. "You have never gone to your own Shift Room?"

Fraize sheepishly smiled. "Yeah, it's true. Mostly because I have no interest in going there."

"No interest?" Weise asked, tilting his head lightly. "But it's a room that's made for you. Aren't you curious?"

Fraize shook his head. "Nope, sorry...I don't even feel right, being identified as a tour guide. It's not my dream, I don't want it to be my future."

Kozaki smiled, lightly. "I guess we're in the same boat, then."

Fraize showed a slight grin. "Well...being a tour guide isn't exactly criminal."

"H-Hey!" Kozaki frowned.

The tour guide then laughed lightly in response. "Sorry, sorry...only jabbing at you."

Kozaki sighed and then smiled in return. "But...I guess you're right. Being an arsonist...it's not the most legal occupation out there."

"Maybe you should become a tour guide yourself!" Fraize nudged Kozaki on the shoulder. "Hey, what do you say?"

Kozaki stammered. "A-Are you kidding me? I can't even find the ketchup bottle at the back of the fridge! Let alone find where I am in a giant city!"

That got our whole group laughing.

* * *

In what felt like no time at all, we were back on our podiums once more. A half hour felt like hardly anything, given what had just unraveled before us.

I looked over to Kozaki, who was standing now at his podium instead of that sickly portrait. It just felt right to be seeing him there, as callous as that sounds.

In all honesty, he seemed to be completely dead emotionally. He looked ahead rather blankly, as though he was his own portrait in the flesh.

"Welcome-back-to-hell-Kozaki-Daisuke." Monobotto taunted as it took a seat up on its throne. "Do-you-have-anything-you-would-like-to-say-? Perhaps-how-excited-you-are-to-get-back-in-action-?'

Kozaki was unphased.

"Yeash. What-a-bore. You-always-were-oh-so-annoying." Monobotto rolled its body slowly, I figure because it had no eyes that could be rolled.

"Kozaki, are you okay?" Weise asked, worriedly. "You look like you've seen a ghost…"

His lips moved, but no words came out.

"Given how he's been seeing ghosts this whole time, that's probably what is happening right now." Zraiko crossed his arms. "But we can't bother to wait for him to search for specters. We need his testimony."

Mikanne sighed and quickly stepped off his podium to give Kozaki a gentle shake. "Hey, wake up."

Kozaki slowly looked over to the tattoo artist. "...Where am I?"

"Class trial. Don't you remember?" Mikanne replied, patting Kozaki on the shoulder.

"Why am I here?" The former arsonist asked, dazed.

Mikanne took in a deep, patient breath. "Because we need your help to solve this case."

Kozaki's eyes fluttered around. It took him a moment to reply, "I see…"

"Come on." Mikanne patted him on the back firmly. "We need you, alright? _We need you."_

Kozaki watched Mikanne return to his stand. He took in a deep breath with his eyes closed before placing his hands onto his podium, snapping out of his trance. "What did I miss?"

We were quick to catch him up on all we had discussed so far. He seemed to be quite saddened, looking away silently. Mei had tried to kill him, and someone else killed Mei. Someone who had the role to protect him from harm. To protect him, the precious experiment.

Well...we told him _almost_ everything. Mikanne would not tell him about his past, saying that it would seriously derail the trial. He promised to tell Kozaki later, after the trial.

"You can't just say that and expect me to be okay with it." The former arsonist frowned. "I want you to tell me everything."

"Unfortunately…" Zraiko sighed, adjusting his glasses. "You'll just have to accept this for now. We're in a class trial. This isn't a good time."

Kozaki quietly bit his lip. He was trembling lightly. But...that look in his eyes told me...he must've known _something_ was going on behind the scenes. He must've been aware of being Erito's - his uncle's experiment in the killing game.

He was then asked by Zraiko to talk about his own experience with Mei up until his attack. He talked about how he tried to get to us, how Mei revealed to him that his uncle was Erito Hajimoto.

"That brings us to right now." Mikanne gestured to me. "Riko was explaining a theory she had that could be used to identify your protector."

"My...protector…" Kozaki looked around the room.

"Do you know who it is?" Kyohi asked, tilting his head lightly. "The person who was supposed to protect you?"

"No…" Kozaki shook his head, slowly. "But...I remember a voice."

"A voice?" I asked him, holding my hands together. "What did they say?"

"Someone...called out to me before I passed out." He felt at his head. "I thought it was Mei, but...now I'm not so sure. The last thing I heard was someone saying 'no' to me, and...they sounded like they were right next to me..."

"Then it couldn't have been Mei." Kyohi held at his left shoulder. "She was on the second floor, and...that definitely wouldn't have been close to you."

Kozaki seemed to understand that. "I...guess that makes sense. But then...I wouldn't know who was calling to me at all."

"Do you remember what exactly they said, when they called out to you?" Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "Did they call you Kozaki?"

"I'm not sure...I just knew it was me." The former arsonist sighed, looking away. "But...the voice sounded distressed, I think...they were very scared."

Ah, well...that would make sense, wouldn't it? Discovering the person they were supposed to protect in such a manner. Then again, they may not even have been consciously aware that they were supposed to protect him. Perhaps...deep down inside, though...they must've felt a sense of failure.

"So, the last thing you remember is hearing that voice." Zraiko asked, raising an eyebrow. "And you are sure you can't identify who the voice belonged to?"

Kozaki shook his head. "No, I'm sorry...I couldn't tell you."

"Let's bring this back to Riko, then." Fraize smiled to me, lightly. "You were telling us about how we could identify the protector, right?"

I nodded. "Indeed."

"Can I ask something, before you do?" Kozaki held his right arm. "Is it okay if...we talk about Mei first?"

It seems like he's not ready to suspect anyone yet.

"I think that's a good idea." Kyohi nodded. "Mei's crime scene has a few things we didn't talk about yet. We should make sure we've covered everything before selecting a suspect, right?"

Kozaki smiled, lightly. "Y-Yeah...so that there's no room for doubt."

His words weren't quite as certain, however. He sounded as if he was just hoping to stall for time.

"Well then...what are the mysteries of Mei's crime scene?" Weise asked, puffing his cheeks lightly.

Well, I can name two.

 **The strange destroyed device, and the missing bullet.**

"We have to find out what that destroyed device was, for one." I felt at my fedora lightly. "It might be crucial to identifying the culprit. Then we must address the missing bullet."

"Let's discuss the destroyed device now, then." Zraiko turned to the young fashion designer. "Weise?"

Weise slowly took out the broken scraps he had saved for me. "I took good care of them, just like I promised!" He patted them gently with pride.

"Good." Zraiko turned to me. "What's your plan, then?"

I felt at my cheek lightly in concentration. "Perhaps...this is like a puzzle."

"A puzzle?" Weise seemed to be quite excited to hear that. "Oh, I love puzzles! Jigsaws are my favorite!"

Fraize examined the scraps closely. "You think we can put this back together again?"

"I am not so sure about that, however...we might at least be able to identify what the object is!" I pumped a fist with light confidence.

The tour guide smiled warmly. "Then I'll help you, Riko. Let's do the puzzle together."

We got off of our podiums and watched as Weise carefully spread out the pieces onto the floor before stepping back and leaving us to work.

Fraize kneeled down and began to separate the scraps. "Let's focus on the shell pieces. No use in getting confused on the mechanical parts.

"Good idea." I nodded, lightly.

Now being presented with the pieces, I began to work with finding how they could fit together. There were larger pieces and smaller pieces, telling me the original object must've been smashed quite forcefully with a blunt object of some kind.

Fraize tried to focus on getting the bigger pieces lined up while I searched to correlate the smaller ones to them.

"Hey...hold on." The tour guide looked over to me. "Do you think it's…"

I examined the lined-up pieces closely. "Ah...could it be?"

He nodded. "It looks like...a hair dryer, right?"

A hair dryer...how strange.

We returned to our podiums to discuss this with the others.

"A hair dryer?" Mikanne was baffled. "That's incredibly out of place."

"Then...what would it mean?" Weise asked, confusedly.

Well, we all began to share some ideas on the matter.

"Hey, Weise knows about hair stuff, right?" Kyohi perked up. **"Maybe the killer tried to frame him!"**

"W-What?!" Weise frowned, pouting. "Why me? Nobody would even believe that for a second, no!"

"Only a fool would believe that." Zraiko rolled his eyes. "Weise, weilding a gun? The kid can't even tie his shoelaces last I remembered it."

"That was the memory wipe, not me!" The fashion designer puffed his cheeks.

"Then...why would the hair dryer be there?" Kyohi asked, confused. **"It's so out of place, there's no reason for it to be in the library."**

Kozaki waved his hands in front of him. "Don't look at me. I-I don't know anything about a hair dryer, sorry…"

 **"Maybe the killer requested the hair dryer."** Fraize crossed his arms. "It _i_ s out of place, so it had to have come from somewhere."

"But a hair dryer?" Mikanne asked him.

He nodded to him. "There has to be some kind of explanation."

 **"Then the killer used the hair dryer to kill Mei!"** Weise gasped.

"That's...ridiculous." Zraiko felt at his forehead with a sigh. "Utterly ridiculous…"

 _ **"I must agree with you!"**_ I called out to Fraize. "I do believe the protector requested this item."

Fraize smiled back to me. "Thanks, my friend."

Kozaki looked over at us. "It does makes sense, doesn't it? A hair dryer would have no business being in the library at all."

Zraiko frowned, lightly. "While I can agree to that, I fail to understand why the killer would even ask for a hair dryer in the first place."

"Yeah...the library was hot enough as it was…" Kozaki looked to the side in shame. **"Since I...lit the first floor on fire."**

 _ **"Please hold on!"**_ I looked over to Kozaki. "That's it!"

"H-Huh?" He looked back to me, confused. "What's it…?"

"The fire." I nodded. "Sprinklers were turned on, right?"

Kozaki felt at his head. "I think so…"

"Sprinklers to put out the fire…" Zraiko crossed his arms. "What are you saying then, Riko?"

I closed my eyes to concentrate.

 **The first floor of the library was on fire, so the sprinkler system activated.**

We have our first step here. Now then...what do we know happened right at around this time?

 **Kozaki passed out as he was discovered by someone**.

According to Kozaki, just before he passed out he heard someone's voice call out to him. That means someone else had entered the first floor of the library. So...what does that mean?

 **The person would've gotten wet from the sprinklers.**

Right. But, as I remember none of us were wet at the time when we discovered Kozaki as a group.

So...that means…

 **The person must've dried themselves off with the hair dryer.**

I took off my fedora, prepared to assert myself. "The protector must have requested the hair dryer for the purpose of drying themselves off!"

"But...drying their hair off in a crime scene?" Weise tilted his head, confusedly.

"Not just their hair. Their whole body." I nodded, placing my hat back atop my head.

Fraize then picked up my thoughts from there. "Ah, I get it now. The killer would've been wet because of the sprinklers, and that would give themselves away when found by the others. So, they dried themselves off and destroyed the hair dryer." He then crossed his arms. "Tossing it into a trash can...for what purpose?"

I looked to the side. It wasn't like the trash can was very well hidden. "Did...they _want_ the hair dryer to be discovered?"

Fraize nodded. "Maybe so."

...Could it be that the protector didn't want to get away with the crime? That this was one of their methods in telling us who they are?

"So, now we know what the hair dryer was used for." Mikanne squeezed his left wrist. "But...that doesn't quite help us with finding the identity of the culprit."

"Well, we do still have the missing bullet to discuss now." I nodded. "I am sure it will help."

"Then let's get to it." Zraiko nodded.

* * *

"A missing bullet…" Kozaki looked to the side in thought. "Sorry, I...wouldn't know anything about this, either."

"Because you were passed out, right?" Weise asked, bouncing up and down lightly.

"To not even hear the second time the gun was fired, though…" Zraiko crossed his arms. "That is strange."

"Actually…" Mikanne held his left wrist. "Maybe it's not so strange after all."

I held my hands together. "Why do you say that, Mikanne?"

He glanced over to Monobotto before looking back to me. "Remember how Kozaki was when you checked his body?"

"Ah?" I felt at my cheek. "I believe so…"

"Did you notice anything...strange?" The tattoo artist tilted his head.

Something strange about Kozaki…

 **His body had no wounds, and he had some cream on him.**

"You are referring to the lack of wounds on his body, correct?" I looked to the side. **"And the healing cream that was on his body…"**

 _ **"Hold on a minute!"**_ Kozaki called over to me.

I looked over to him, confused. "Is something wrong?"

He felt at his chest, shaking his head lightly. "I couldn't have had healing cream on me...I passed out before I was able to apply it."

"Maybe now would be a good time to ask…" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Where did you get this cream in the first place?"

Kozaki bit his lip, glancing over to Mikanne. The tattoo artist nodded to him, to which Kozaki looked back to me. "Mikanne gave me a bottle when I visited his room earlier."

"Mikanne did?" Fraize asked, surprised. "I thought only the robot could handle the creams."

We looked over to see Monobotto was humming in a rather perturbed manner.

"That's true." Mikanne chuckled, awkwardly. "Monobotto had been...supplying me with creams for quite a while. To treat my scars."

"Ah, I see." I held my hands together again. "So that explains how a bottle was in Kozaki's possession."

"But, wait…" Kyohi raised a hand. "If Kozaki didn't apply the cream, who did?"

Ah, I know the answer to that.

 **Kozaki's protector.**

"It must have been Kozaki's protector, in that case." I nodded. "They must have found the cream on his person and used it to try to help save him."

"But...that still doesn't answer why Kozaki couldn't hear that gunshot." Fraize scratched the back of his head.

"Actually, it does." Mikanne felt at his chin. "You see...there's a very interesting side effect of the cream. It's effectiveness rises significantly if you're passed out. Because of that, you enter a very deep, almost coma-like sleep."

"Indeed." Monobotto verified the statement.

"That's just like way back in the puzzle room, right?" Kyohi asked, knocking on his helmet lightly. "Kozaki was passed out there, and he recovered really quickly."

"But those wounds weren't as life-threatening." Fraize crossed his arms. "In this case...he was already knocking on death's door."

So...the more life-threatening the wound is, the longer it takes for the cream to be effective. However, if you are unconscious, the treatment is more effective. That also causes you to enter a coma-like state.

…

Perhaps...that was why I was unable to tell if Kozaki was really dead or not back in the library. I only believed it to be true because Monobotto declared him to be deceased.

All for the purpose of taking him away to undergo such cruel conditions around the cultists…

…

Wait a moment.

I looked over to Fraize. "May I ask you something?"

The tour guide looked back to me. "Sure you can. What is it, Riko?"

I looked to the side. "It is just...back in the investigation, we found Kozaki lying face-down on the floor. You saw him when you were with me, correct?"

Fraize nodded. "That's right…"

I looked to the side, thinking.

"I see." Zraiko crossed his arms. "From the way he was shot, he was hit from the front. He should have landed on the ground on his back."

Kozaki nodded. "Y-Yeah...I did. At least, I think I did."

"So his body was turned over by the protector." Mikanne tilted his head. "Why do you find that weird?"

I felt at my cheek. "I wish to discuss this, if it is alright."

So, a small debate started.

"Isn't it just because **the protector applied the cream?"** Kyohi asked, confusedly.

"Mhm, that has to be true." Weise nodded. "Because otherwise Kozaki would have died."

Kozaki looked to the side. "I wish I could help you guys...I feel really useless here."

"It's not your fault, my friend." Fraize smiled warmly.

"Anyways…" Zraiko crossed his arms. "There really is no other explanation."

"No, I am sorry." I shook my head. "I really believe there has to be something else."

"What else could it be?" The hacker asked, baffled.

Fraize then looked around before looking over to me. "Do you think it's **because of the smoke?"**

Ah…?

Fraize nodded. "The smoke, on the first floor."

…

 _ **"I must agree with you!"**_ I nodded to Fraize. "Yes, yes of course!"

"Huh?" Weise blinked. "The smoke?"

"Smoke rises into the air." Kozaki crossed his arms. "So...maybe I was flipped upside down to stop me from breathing it in so much. The carbon monoxide could have poisoned me."

Fraize looked over to Kozaki. "That's what must have happened."

…

That then brings another fact about the case.

"Then the protector must have been quick to leave the library, right?" I asked, tilting my head lightly. "Because the smoke would be rising up to the second floor. They wouldn't have much time to kill Mei, dry themselves off, destroy the hair dryer, and move her body."

Fraize then looked over to me, smiling. "Yeah, that's right. Not to mention the killer also would have to change the locks to actually escape."

I took off my fedora and hugged it, gently. "Then that means...the protector would've come out from the second floor…"

…

My eyes widened.

"Did you get it, Riko?" Kyohi asked me. "Your eyes just lit up, so...you must've gotten it!"

I...I didn't even realize…

"Riko…" Fraize looked over to me. "Come on, then."

"Huh?" I looked over to him, confused.

He crossed his arms, smiling lightly. "You know who it is, right?"

I looked to the side, not quite sure what he meant. "I do…?"

"Think about it." Fraize nodded. "That person had to be quick to leave the library. So they came out from the second floor. Besides, haven't you noticed?"

I slowly looked back over to him.

"One of us spoke about things as if they knew them to be fact. As if they were actually there." He looked at me in the eyes.

I held my hands together, concentrating on his words.

"One of us...seemed to know what had happened. And that someone was...particularly emotional about it, too." His smile grew saddened. "And the only way that this person could have known...was if they really were involved."

I shook my head slowly. This…This is...

His weak smile brightened. "Come on. Tell them who it is."

My eyes trailed down to my podium, my extending hand shaking lightly.

Yes...you had to have been the one. You refused to train with Mei, this whole time.

I should've known, right from the start.

I should've known what it meant when you insisted you had saved him.

 **Select a suspect.**

* * *

…

"I knew you could do it, Riko." Fraize smiled, unbothered by the golden ring surrounding him.

Everyone was silent.

Well...almost everyone.

"Wh...F-Fraize?!" Kozaki was bewildered. "R-Riko, you must've made a mistake!"

…

I wanted to believe Kozaki. I wanted to believe that I truly had made a mistake.

But...it all makes sense this way. Besides...there was no other person by the second floor of the library.

And that is not all. Back in Mei's Shift Room, Fraize _knew_ it was our book being hidden away. He was looking for it. Mei must've told him before she…

"I…" I gulped, holding my hands together. "I am sorry...this is where the evidence has led me."

"W-Well, maybe he's being set up!" Kozaki shook his head.

Fraize didn't say anything.

"Come on, Riko!" Kozaki begged me. "Just...Just look at the evidence again!"

I looked down, biting my lip.

...

"I've got it."

I looked back up, over to Fraize.

Fraize smiled, reassuringly. "Remember the missing bullet?"

I nodded, lightly. "Yes...what about it?"

The tour guide hummed to himself. "Everyone should dig into their pockets and show what they've got in them."

"You mean to say you believe the killer would have the bullet with them?" Mikanne asked him.

The tour guide nodded. "Doing that should leave no room for doubt, right?"

No room for doubt…?

"On the count of three, then." Zraiko placed his hands into his pockets.

…

 **One.**

 **Two.**

 **Three.**

...

Ah…!

His hand was extended far out for everyone to see. Fingers fully uncurled, hiding nothing. Resting in the center of the palm of his hand...was a bloody bullet.

"No room for doubt now...right?" Fraize smiled, sadly. "I'm glad...I don't have to hide anymore."

We all looked at him in silence once again.

He closed his hand around the bullet and pulled his fist to his chest, over his heart. "...It's true. I killed Mei Jiana."

…

"No…"

We slowly looked over in Kozaki's direction.

"No...no you didn't…" He shook his head, then lining his eyes up to Fraize's. "You didn't kill her."

Fraize looked away, sighing heavily. "Zaki...I'm sorry, I-"

"No...no!" Kozaki slammed his hands to his podium. "You didn't kill her, Fraize!"

The tour guide looked back to him, biting his lip.

"Say it's not true…" Kozaki's voice shook with desperation. "Please...please…! Say it's not true!"

"I can't." Fraize replied, softly.

Kozaki began to tear up, shaking his head again. "No, you...you can. You can! You didn't kill her!"

"Zaki, listen to me…" Fraize begged him, I could see he was tearing up as well. "Please, you have to listen. I killed her, Zaki. I killed her. I'm a murderer…"

"You're not!" Kozaki yelled out. "You're not, damn it! You're not a…!" He began to choke on his words. "F...Fucking...murderer...damn….damn it!"

Fraize looked like he was going to say something back, but couldn't manage any words.

"Please...allow me." I raised my hand gently. "I can prove Fraize is your protector, Kozaki."

The former arsonist lined up his eyes with mine. He was begging me not to.

He didn't want to face the truth...because the truth was too painful for him to bear.

…

I am so, so terribly sorry…

..

 _ **"Please do prepare yourself!"**_

Kozaki wiped his eyes and frowned. "You can't prove Fraize was my protector. That would have to mean he's got a whole other identity none of us know about."

"While this may be true, I do believe I have a way to prove it." I nodded to him.

Kozaki shook his head. "There's nothing about him to even suggest he had another life."

"What about his old name?" I advanced, recalling what I had learned about him just before the trial.

"You knew about that, too?" He was caught off guard, then biting his lip. "That still doesn't prove anything! It's a dead name, he doesn't go by it anymore."

"But it is a different name nonetheless!" I insisted. "Not only that, the fact that it is meant to be a dead name means he identified it as belonging to a dead version of himself!"

"But that doesn't prove that he has been living a double life during the killing game!" Kozaki frowned. "He's got a talent like us, doesn't he? He's trapped in this damn game like us, isn't he?!"

"But the protector has a different talent as well!" I stepped up to the plate.

"There's no proof that he isn't a tour guide!" Kozaki yelled out, challenging me.

…

He's right. There is no proof that Fraize is not a tour guide.

However…

 _ **There is no proof that he is a tour guide, either.**_

"While I cannot disprove that nothing challenges the fact he is a tour guide…" I stood up tall. "There is no proof that he is a tour guide either!"

"What the hell are you saying?!" Kozaki asked me. "Everyone here has their own Shift Room to practice their talent!"

…

"You're right." I held my hands together. "We all have our own Shift Room. Mine is a music room. Weise's is a fashion studio. Kyohi's is a hockey rink. Zraiko's is a computer room. Mikanne's is a tattoo parlor. Yours is of a forest…" I frowned. "But Fraize has never gone to his Shift Room even once during this entire killing game. The only place that could've verified his talent has never been used."

Off to the corner of my eye, I saw Fraize was nodding, silently.

Kozaki looked down, defeated.

 _ **"Please, face the truth with me."**_ I extended out a hand. "Won't you?"

He slowly looked back up to me, then reaching his hand out to mine.

…

The room was silent for a moment before Monobotto cheered. "Oh-! The-drama-! The-heartbreak-! The-views-! It's-so-wonderful-I-could-cry-tears-of-joy-!" It then began to shed tears...of oil.

Nobody acknowledged Monobotto.

"..." The robot looked around the room before sitting normally.

I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath. How cruel this is for Monobotto to exploit this tragedy for its tasteless monetary gain.

I opened my eyes again, unable to say anything except, "I am so sorry," over and over and over again.

"Riko, please." The tour guide reeled in my attention, then forcing a smile. "End this, okay? So that it can finally be over."

...Alright, Fraize. I will fulfill your request.

 _ **"I shall make the pieces line up!"**_

 **\- ACT 1 -**

"This all started with the reveal of the new motive. We were all given details from previous killing games, left to make connections and try to figure out what all of this information could mean. With no desire to continue the killing game, we all had three weeks of peace...or so we thought. While we were carrying on with our daily lives, Mei had been working with Mikanne to read books in the library. Special books that could only be read with the use of a black light. In addition, she would also host daily training sessions in her Shift Room. Sessions that a certain someone would prefer to skip out on. Back to the topic of the books, the vigilante noticed that one book in particular was missing. That would be the book of our own killing game. Armed with the knowledge of Erito Hajimoto's true identity from reading the 38th book, Mei began to hatch out a plan that she believed would end the killing game once and for all."

 **\- ACT 2 -**

"As it turns out, our own book was destroyed by Monobotto quite a long time ago. So, the vigilante went to Monobotto and requested a copy of our book that could be read without the use of a black light. This was because she wanted to keep her operation as private as possible. Through reading our book, Mei found herself with an ultimatum: Kozaki had to die for the sake of ending the killing game for good. And so...she began to make a plan armed with the knowledge she gained from our book. Even loading her gun with bullets the protector had given to her, as they had won it in an arcade prize and found no other person to give them to."

 **\- ACT 3 -**

"After carefully coming up with a plan to ensure Kozaki's protector would not interfere, Mei lured him over to her Shift Room with the intention to reveal to him the truth before ending his life. However, things did not quite turn out like that. The former arsonist fled the scene, fearing for his life. He tried desperately to reach us in the dining room, our group completely unaware as to what was going down between the two. Defending himself in the ways he knew how, Kozaki struck a match and caught the vigilante's jacket on fire. As they continued their chase around the Killing Odyssey, Kozaki would flee to the second floor of the library and strive to escape. With his options running thin, Kozaki set the first floor of the library on fire in an attempt to keep Mei away from him. From there, he hurried up to the second floor to escape. However, the library was trapped in advance. The doors were locked, and Kozaki had nowhere to run."

\- **ACT 4 -**

"It was there on the second floor where Mei would confront Kozaki with the truth about his uncle. Mei would reveal everything to Kozaki except for one final, biggest truth. The truth that was on the final page of our book that she had torn out. After the end of their discussion, Kozaki was shot by Mei and fell over the railings on the first floor. Dead for good, or that's how he seemed to be. Meanwhile, we were all alerted by the sound of Mei's gun being fired. One of us was quick to leave the dining room, hurrying over to try and locate the source of the bang. This led them to the first floor of the library, despite the bang coming from the second floor. Perhaps this was because by this point, Mei had already begun to change the locks of the second floor making it inaccessible from outside. "

\- **ACT 5 -**

"So, the protector entered the library from the first floor. It was there when the protector found Kozaki wounded on the ground, near death. The fire was being put out by sprinklers up above by this point, the room beginning to grow incredibly smokey and difficult to breathe in. Checking his body, the protector found the healing cream in Kozaki's possession and used it with desperation. Miraculously, the cream worked. The protector managed to save Kozaki from death, but they would not realize it to be true until much later as Kozaki was still wavering over a coma-like state. The protector laid Kozaki face-down to prevent him from breathing in the smoke. After treating Kozaki's wounds, the protector spotted the vigilante on the second floor. Mei had inadvertently trapped herself, as the doors on the second floor were still locked. She attempted to change the locks of the door to get out, but it would be no good. She never expected to be found so quickly, but...then again...this was the one person who refused to show what they were capable of."

 **\- ACT 6 -**

"After spotting Mei on the second floor, the protector confronted her in a rage of emotions. It seems the protector then disarmed the vigilante and pointed her weapon against her. I presume they might have had a conversation together, the vigilante then accepting the consequences of her actions. Because of the wild storm of emotions they were experiencing, the protector snapped and shot Mei...killing her instantly. Now left alone on the second floor of the library, the protector was left not knowing what to do. They retrieved the bullet that struck Mei, for reasons I do not know."

 **\- ACT 7 -**

"From Monobotto, they then requested a hair dryer. This was to dry themselves off so there wouldn't be evidence of them being downstairs where the sprinklers were running. Speaking of, by this point the sprinklers must have stopped, the smoke of the fire drifting up to the second floor. With nowhere else to go, the protector smashed the hair dryer and discarded it in the trash. Next, they placed Mei at a table and placed the gun in her hand. Lastly, they changed the lock of one of the doors on the second floor to have it lock behind them as they left. They then hurried out, having to take some time to breathe in the fresh air. That was where I found the protector...right outside of the crime scene they had just escaped from."

 **"The killer of Mei Jiana, the Super-Highschool-Level Vigilante...it must be you, my friend. Fraize Kimizai, the Super-Highschool-Level Tour Guide...you are Kozaki's protector!"**

…

"Thank you, Riko." He smiled at me, satisfied. "I knew you could do it. Did I say that before?" He then chuckled. "Ah, no matter."

I looked down, saddened. This trial...it felt far more personal than any of the other ones prior. It felt like it was just the three of us. Kozaki, Fraize, and myself.

It was a class trial, but it was so much more.

Now...I have to say goodbye to one of the brightest people I've even known.

…

I am not ready.

"Well-you-clowns. What-are-you-waiting-for-?" Monobotto hopped up and down. "It-is-now-voting-time-!"

"Come on, guys." Fraize flashed a stupid grin. "You can't get this wrong, okay? Vote for me."

…

All seven votes were casted for Fraize. It seems the least Kozaki could do...was what his lover asked of him.

...

 **CLASS TRIAL, END.**

* * *

"What-a-crazy-trial-! The-views-are-off-the-charts-!" Monobotto then let out a mechanical sigh. "It-is-a-shame. We-did-not-have-a-debate-scrum-this-time." It then bounced up and down again. "But-I-can-accept-that-! A-fan-favorite-is-going-to-be-executed-! The-views-! The-money-! It's-all-worth-it-!"

Again, nobody paid any attention to the robot. We all got off of our podiums, standing around somewhat uncomfortably.

Fraize walked over to me, kissing both of my cheeks as a European greeting. "I can't thank you enough, Riko. I am burdened no longer."

"Fraize…" I bit my lip, looking into his golden eyes.

"Don't look so sad, my friend." He placed his hands firmly on my shoulders. "I don't have any regrets. So...you shouldn't have any either."

I silently nodded, then giving him a light hug.

He patted my back gently before stepping back. "You're brave, Riko. So don't stop now, okay?"

I nodded, quietly.

"...I need you to promise me something, okay?" He whispered to me. "Please...watch over Kozaki for me. Make sure he'll be safe and sound. Make sure he'll make it home for me, okay?"

"...I promise." I smiled, weakly.

"Thank you." He smiled in return.

…

"I must ask you, Fraize…" I held my hands together. "Why did you keep the bullet that killed Mei?"

"Ah?" He chuckled, awkwardly. "I guess for two reasons."

Two?

"For one, I knew none of you would believe I was the culprit unless I had it." He placed the bullet into his pocket. "The other thing is...in the mafia I was in, the hitmen would always pick up and keep the bullets that were used to kill. I don't know if it was because of hiding evidence, but..." He smiled, saddened. "I like to think of it as...keeping Mei with me. I killed her. We'll probably be linked together now for all eternity." He then chuckled. "Sounds like a movie, doesn't it?"

…

"Fraize, why didn't you just take Kozaki out from the first floor?" I asked him, saddened. "Was the door locked behind you?"

"No, it wasn't." Fraize sighed. "It was because of my own selfish choice. I _wanted_ to kill Mei." He then looked to the side. "I wasn't going to leave the library without stopping her...permanently."

I nodded slowly without a word.

"Ah, that reminds me." Fraize took out a folded slip of paper from his pocket. "Mei gave this to me before I killed her. She told me...the biggest truth of the killing game was written here. I haven't looked at it myself, but I probably won't even need to see it at all."

"Mei gave that to you?" Mikanne walked over, slowly.

Fraize nodded. "She did...and I think you'll need it." He then lifted it over to Mikanne.

"Me?" Mikanne asked, surprised.

"Let's just say...I have a hunch." The tour guide chuckled. "When the time comes, you'll know when you'll need this. Until then, keep it safe."

Mikanne slowly took the slip of paper.

"Promise me, Mikanne." Fraize then grew slightly more serious. "That you'll tell Kozaki the truth."

Mikanne placed the slip of paper into his pocket and nodded. "Promise."

"Thank you." Fraize nodded back to him. "Now then...if you'll excuse me, there is something I need to do."

We watched as Fraize slowly walked over to Kozaki. He had been standing still and silent besides his podium this whole time.

"Zaki…" Fraize reached over to Kozaki, then pulling his hand back. He didn't know what to do.

"...Damn it...Fraize…" Kozaki then pulled his lover into a hug before beginning to weep. "Why….Why?! You should've left me, damn it…! You should've let me die! Then...Then you wouldn't...you wouldn't be the blackened!"

"Let you die?" Fraize hugged him back, I could see he was tearing up. "Bastard, I love you. _I love you_ , how could you ask me such a question like this?!"

"But you're going to die because of me!" Kozaki's voice raised. "You're going to die, and it's all my fault!"

"All your fault? What the hell…" Fraize stroked Kozaki's hair, gently. "It's my fault, because I fell in love with you."

The former arsonist gasped quietly before breaking into an uncontrollable cry. Fraize couldn't hold himself back any longer, then weeping himself.

None of us dared to disturb them.

"Why...damn it…" Kozaki sniffled. "Why did this happen?"

Fraize sighed, shaking his head lightly. He couldn't find an answer.

The quick and simple answer was because of Mei. But...it was so much more than that. It was because of the experiments, it was because of Kozaki's uncle. It was because of _Danganronpa._ It was because…

Because of love.

…

Fraize stepped back and took off his locket. "Zaki...I want you to have this, please. Wear it...so I'll always be with you."

Kozaki slowly took the locket with shaking hands. He then reached behind his neck to take off his own necklace and replace it with Fraize's. Taking in a quick breath, he lifted his necklace up to the tour guide. "You too...please. Wear this...so we'll always be together."

Fraize hesitated at first. He then nodded quietly and picked up the necklace, putting it on and touching it gently.

Once after exchanging necklaces, the two held hands together. I could tell their hands were shaking.

"Umm…"

I looked over to Weise, who was quietly speaking up.

"If...Fraize really is Kozaki's protector…" Weise twiddled his fingers. "What is his true identity?"

Fraize slowly stepped back from Kozaki and wiped his eyes with a sigh. "I don't know...you see, it is like Riko said. I...did not know protecting Kozaki was my role." He smiled, sadly. "It came natural to me. Wouldn't you want to protect someone you love?"

Kozaki bit his lip and looked down.

Fraize then shook his head, slowly. "I don't remember anything about working with anyone to keep Kozaki safe. I remember my own choices, and that's good enough for me." He then nodded. "I can say it with certainty...that my choices were my own."

We all seemed to be somewhat crestfallen by his words.

"I-suppose-I-can-grant-you-this-piece-of-information." Monobotto tilted its head to the side.

Fraize honestly didn't seem to care at all about what Monobotto would say. It almost looked like he would rather not even know at all.

"The-true-identity-of-Kozaki-Daisuke's-protector-is…" The robot leaned in. "Ramón-Loarte. The-Super-Highschool-Level-Mafioso."

…

Ah?

Did Monobotto say what I thought it did?

Fraize is a…

"I'm…" He seemed to be horrified. "A... _what?"_

The bucket of bolts leaned in. "You-are-the-Super-Highschool-Level-Mafioso."

He frowned and shook his head. "That's nonsense. I haven't had anything to do with the mafia in years."

Monobotto rolled back and forth in a teasing manner. "Well-of-course-that-is-how-you-remember-it. You-see…" It spun around, slowly. "We-might-have-changed-a-few-things-in-your-memory. Hidden-some-details. Details-such-as-your-connection-to-the-mafia. Your-role. Who-you-are. Your-purpose-in-being-here. It-was-all-changed-and-customized."

Fraize slowly looked at his hands. He seemed to be shaken to his core, as his face was pale. "...I... I'm…"

"Everything-was-predetermined. Programmed-into-you." Monobotto slowly turned around...its voice then changing. "I really must thank you for keeping my nephew safe for me."

Haiji...

I could see Fraize was tearing up as he closed his hands into fists.

"Why the sad face, poor boy? You fulfilled your purpose, isn't that what you wanted? To protect Kozaki?" The voice taunted him. "Well...here you are. How does it feel?"

He didn't have to say how it felt. It must've been horrific.

"This whole time…" His voice shook as teardrops dropped to the floor. "I was trying so hard to escape that man, my father...and yet in the end...you're saying it was all meaningless? How...How did I turn out to be a mafioso…? Who am I anymore…?"

"He's wrong."

We looked over to see Kozaki slowly approach him. The former arsonist placed a hand onto Fraize's cheek, gently. "Don't say that, Fraize. It wasn't meaningless. _You're_ not meaningless."

"Zaki…" The tour guide placed a hand on top of Kozaki's.

"Forget about those fucking cultists." Kozaki leaned in. "You protected me because you chose to. And I…" Kozaki then quietly stepped back. "I wish...I wish...that Mei really did kill me."

"W-What are you saying?" Fraize seemed to be distressed by that. "Stop saying that already, Zaki!"

Kozaki tried to stop himself from breaking down. "But…"

His uncle also seemed to have some words of his own to share. "Not only that...if only you had just stayed with me in the lab...you all could've played pretend that you were killed." The voice then had Monobotto lean forwards. _"How does it feel to know that you are the reason behind the death of your lover?"_

"Shut your damn mouth already, won't you?!" Mikanne shouted at the robot, breaking his silence for only a moment. "Do you take pleasure in this?!"

"If I were to say yes or no...it would be a lie all the same." Haiji responded, calmly. "Now then…" The robot turned back to Fraize. "It is such a shame, Ramón. You truly were an excellent subject. Your death would be such a waste of talent...and I dislike wasting talent. So, you have my sympathies."

The entire room was then filled with animosity. Animosity directed towards a man without a face.

"If only I could keep you alive and pull you out of the game…" The voice lamented. "But that's against the rules, isn't it?"

"I'd rather die." Fraize replied, bitterly.

"Ah, I see…" The voice chuckled, lightly. "Truly, a waste."

…

"Well, then. I should be going now. Already broken quite a number of rules, so what's a few more? I'm going to be scolded by Master Erito for sure." The voice then swapped back to Monobotto's usual mechanical hummings. "As-for-you-clowns. It-is-time-for-the-main-event."

It cannot mean…!

"So-let's-give-it-our-all-!" Monobotto hopped up and down its throne.

Kozaki tightened his embrace with Fraize. He shut his eyes, thinking that if he held on tightly enough...he could save him.

"It's-punishment-time-!" Monobotto slammed the gavel down with a sick, twisted enthusiasm I had never seen from it before.

 **GAME OVER.**

 **Ramón Loarte has been found guilty.**

 **Commencing the punishment…**

* * *

I was frozen in place, unable to find anything I could do. I wanted to save him. I wanted to save my friend. I didn't want him to die.

But...I couldn't move my legs. I saw the mechanic arm reach over and grab his neck. I shut my eyes, I couldn't get my body to move forwards.

That was when I heard him yell out, "No, stop!"

I opened my eyes to see Kozaki had grabbed Fraize by the hand, struggling to keep him from being taken away.

"Zaki, what are you doing?!" Fraize asked him, panicked. "Let go of me!"

"I...I can't…!" The former arsonist cried out. "I can't let you die!"

Kozaki's feet were slipping.

"I-If you don't let me go, you'll get dragged with me!" Fraize's voice was desperate. "Please, Zaki! _Let go of me!"_

"N...No…!" Kozaki refused. His feet were sliding more, his hand was shaking somewhat violently. He was trying to do anything he could to anchor Fraize. "I-I have to save you!"

Now Fraize was tearing up. "Zaki, damn it! Are you crazy?! You have to let me go!"

"How could you tell me to do something like that?!" Kozaki's eyes were streaming with tears now. "I love you, for fuck's sake! That's why I-!"

His feet slipped.

…

But my feet were able to move. I grabbed Kozaki's free hand, then trying to pull backwards. I, too, wanted to save Fraize.

"R...Riko?" The tour guide asked, surprised.

I gave him a firm nod. "You are my friend, are you not? I cannot possibly stand by and allow you to die!"

Monobotto seemed to be growing annoyed. It turned up the strength of the mech, causing our feet to slip. For a moment, I thought that we would be taken away with him.

Then I felt someone grab my other hand. It was Mikanne. Then someone took his hand, Zraiko. Then Kyohi, and lastly Weise.

We were all trying to do everything we could to save our friend...but deep down inside, I knew we were only prolonging the inevitable.

Fraize smiled lightly, his cheeks wet with tears. "Thank you, everyone…"

With the last of his strength, he pulled Kozaki closer to him. He gave him a soft, reassuring kiss, before whispering something and letting go.

The rest of us toppled over each other like dominoes. We remained stunned on the floor until more arms dragged us all away.

Dragged us away to watch our friend die.

I didn't want to watch. I didn't want to see Fraize suffer. I remembered Anne's execution, I could hear her screams echo in my head. I couldn't bear to even think about what was going to happen to him now. Monobotto would surely want to top the previous execution. The question became _how_ it would do it.

The curtains slowly pulled back. He was standing there, wearing a Monobotto-themed suit and tie. Black gloves were on his hands, a gun strapped to his belt. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, I could clearly see the look in his eyes. He was pale.

That was when I realized...Monobotto was not going to be executing him as a tour guide.

Monobotto was going to execute him...as a mafioso.

He was standing alone in a dark room, the lights suddenly flashing on to reveal he was in a casino. There were different gambling games all around him, only that they were huge.

He was suddenly dropped onto a poker table, sitting atop a stack of chips. He was being pushed around back and forth by various Monobotto robots, cards whizzing by that were sharper than knives. One of them cut his cheek, he seemed to be turning blue.

Just before another card would sweep forwards to cut him in half, he took out his gun and shot one of the Monobottos in the eye. From there, things only seemed to escalate.

The Monobottos grabbed him and stuck him to a dart board. They all took turns throwing darts at him, some of them narrowly missing him. He was able to free himself before he could be struck in the head, then toppling to the floor. He tried to run, but had no idea where to turn.

He came across so many different ways he could've died. Poisoned drinks, hidden knives, it was clear that he was the target of Monobotto's hit.

Eventually, he couldn't keep going. He leaned against the wall, holding his bleeding body and gasping for air. He looked so miserable, he just wanted it to be over.

A single, regular-sized Monobotto rolled over to him. It was wielding a gun of its own.

Fraize shut his eyes, drawing his gun again in desperation. Even though he wanted it to be done, he refused to give up. He refused to surrender. Because if he did...what would that mean for him, for us?

He opened his eyes one last time and shot his gun just as the Monobotto was about to shoot. It caused the stray bullet to hit the ceiling, hitting the support of a chandelier up above. Fraize rolled out of the way, but the flying glass from the impact cut his body even more. He was in pain, so much pain. Blood was trailing from his body, he just couldn't take it anymore.

…

Then there was a sudden rumbling sound from the stage. It was concerning for a multitude of reasons. One of them being...not even Monobotto seemed to know what was causing the tremors.

The entire stage began to collapse. Something wrong must've been happening. The stage had never fallen apart like this before.

He tried to take the chance to escape, to find an exit or some way out. However, he wouldn't be able to. His leg got caught under a piece of rubble.

He shut his eyes, anticipating the worst. Expecting this to finally be the end.

He was surrounded by dust and debris. I couldn't see him anymore.

…

When the dust cleared, all that there was to be seen was ruin. The entire stage was silent. There wasn't a single trace of him left. Not even a drop of blood.

We were released from our seats. Kozaki ran up onto the stage and frantically looked around. He started to dig and dig, he was tearing up again. He shut his eyes, shaking his head and continuing to dig. His hands began to bleed, the metal scraps cutting into his flesh. I could see his tears splatter to the floor, mixing with his blood. His cries began to grow louder and louder, he was growing more and more desperate.

I had to pull him back. He struggled at first. He even looked like he was going to hit me, but he stopped himself.

"Kozaki, please…" I gently took his wounded hands and squeezed them lightly. I did not mind his blood staining my clothes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...but he's gone..."

He looked at me silently for a moment before collapsing onto me. He let everything out, all of his pain. I couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of hurt he was feeling inside.

To lose someone you love...that pain is the one that hurts the most. That is the pain of knowing they can never come back. The pain of knowing they have been torn away from you without mercy. The pain of knowing you now must continue on without them.

Because...that's what they would want.

Because...that's what Fraize would want. Fraize would want Kozaki to take his memory with him. Fraize would want him to escape, for their sake.

…

But...if I were to be honest, I am weary over the fact that Kozaki might not be strong enough to carry this weight on his shoulders.

He hugged me tightly, still sobbing though growing muffled as he buried his face into my chest. I could feel him shaking and trembling in my hold, though...that might have been my own shaking and trembling instead.

Nobody dared to disturb us. The entire auditorium was filled with the echoes of Kozaki's despair.

I stroked his hair gently, just like how Fraize would to comfort him. I did not want to replace Fraize, not at all. All I could think of was what Fraize would do to be there for him, to give him strength.

I wish I could have done the same here...but I failed.

When he finally stopped crying, it was well past midnight. He passed out in my arms, though he was still not calm at all. His face showed his heart was broken, shattered into perhaps an infinite amount of speckles then mercilessly scattered into the wind.

I did not know what else to do. I used every last bit of my strength remaining to walk him back to the dorms. I opened the door to Fraize's room, then leading him inside and tucking him into bed. I figured he would want that, to stay in a place where he could feel the presence of his lover.

Feeling uncomfortable, I quietly exited the bedroom and closed the door behind me before sinking to my knees.

I did not want this, I did not want this.

And I have no choice but to accept that. I have no choice but to accept that no matter what I do, I'll never be able to heal his broken heart.

…

'I need you to promise me something, okay? Please...watch over Kozaki for me. Make sure he'll be safe and sound. Make sure he'll make it home for me, okay?'

I slowly opened my eyes and took in a short gasp of air.

Fraize…

To tell you the truth, I am petrified.

To think you would ask _me_ of all people to take care of your lover?

…

I promise, Fraize. I shall to everything I can to succeed you in your role.

I swear...I will do everything in my power to protect Kozaki and ensure his survival. For your sakes, it is the least I can do as your friend.

Please, believe in me. I will honor our promise. I won't let your death be in vain.

Fraize...it was wonderful to fight along your side as your friend.

Allow me to make one last promise...that I will continue to fight until the day we finally make it out of here.

"Nya? You're still awake?"

I looked up to see a foreign person standing before me. They were wearing a pair of goggles over their warm, cinnabar hair. The hair seemed reminiscent to a cat's head with two peaks resembling a cat's ears. At just above the neck the hair was tied into a long tail that trailed down to their hip. Their eyes were the color of wild orchids, twinkling lightly. Beneath their white lab coat they wore a turtleneck sweater the color of periwinkle. A silver pin of a comet was on the flap of the lab coat's collar. They also wore a silver necklace, it looking eerily similar to the symbol stitched onto Kozaki's own hoodie. They also were wearing pants the color of mauve and loafers the color of wine.

"Wh...Who are you?" I stood up, slowly.

The person stuck their tongue out to the side. "Just your everyday lab assistant, nya."

"Lab...assistant?" I gulped.

"My Meowster Erito's Elite Level Lab Assistant!" The person smiled, pridefully.

…

Master...Erito's…

"So please…" The foreign person stepped closer to me. "Move out of the way for me."

Defensively, I stepped back and blocked the door. "I cannot allow that."

"Nya, you're delaying our progress. Meowster will be unhappy." They then got closer to me. "You must move out of my way."

"I said I cannot allow you to enter." I shook my head.

"Listen, pretty bird…" They then grabbed my neck and pushed me against the door. "Nobody tells Tobi what to do except for his Meowster Erito."

I attempted to push the stranger away from me, but it was getting harder to breathe.

"Good, good…" They smiled. "Good bird, pretty bird."

I then shut my eyes and swung my knee as hard as I could into their groin. They yelped before falling to their knees somewhat tearfully.

I did not know what else to do from there, but luckily I did not need to do anything. The cry allerted Zraiko and Kyohi, who both quickly left their rooms to help me. Mikanne and Weise came from downstairs, hurrying over to the scene.

Mikanne was quick to pin the stranger to the ground. "Who the hell are you?"

"Nya, get your grubby paws off Tobi!" The person struggle beneath him.

"Huzzah! We have captured the mastermind!" Weise cheered.

"Meowstermind? Me?" The person seemed to be quite flattered.

Zraiko rolled his eyes. "There's no way in hell you can expect me to believe he is Kozaki's uncle."

"Relax. He's one of his goons for sure." Mikanne frowned. "Zraiko, help me take them to my Shift Room."

"Got it." The hacker nodded, then walking over to pick up the self-proclaimed lab assistant by the legs.

Mikanne picked them up by the arms before taking them away down the hall.

"Are you okay, Riko?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

"Ah...yes, thank you for your concern." I felt at my neck.

"Have no fear, Riko!" Weise puffed his cheeks. "We will protect you from danger!"

I shook my head lightly. "It is alright. I do not need you to protect me...but if you could please…" I motioned to Fraize's door. "Watch over Kozaki with me tonight. You can do that, correct? I shall return shortly...there is something I must do first."

Weise and Kyohi nodded, then heading inside the room.

After taking a quick breath, I hurried over to Mikanne's Shift Room to find the stranger tied up and stripped down into just a pair of fuchsia heart-patterned boxers.

"Tobi will never talk, nya!" They gritted their teeth in anger.

Zraiko crossed his arms, skeptically. "Really?"

The one called Tobi nodded.

What is going on here?

* * *

~Chapter Five, End~


	34. His Life, Their Pawn Daily Life 1

Chapter Six ~ His Life, Their Pawn

* * *

I didn't quite know why I felt it necessary to be present here. Zraiko and Mikanne were handling the situation, were they not? The intruder had been captured and was being interrogated. Not to mention that this peculiar interloper had attempted to choke me just minutes or so ago. I have no business being here, do I?

Tobi hissed in place as he struggled in the ropes. He almost looked scared, scared to be here with us.

Well, he did bring this upon himself, after all.

"Nya, Tobi wants to go now!" He continued to struggle.

"Chances are you'll be going soon enough." Zraiko sighed in an irritated manner. "Once Monobotto gets over here. That robot is your ally, isn't it?"

Tobi seemed to be bitter. "That stinky thing? Euhg, no! Robot will not help Tobi."

That was interesting to hear.

"Won't help you?" Mikanne asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tobi shook his head. "Monobotto only listens to Meowster Erito."

"Well, what about your cultist buddies?" Zraiko pressed the alleged lab assistant.

"They will not help Tobi either." Tobi shook his head. "They don't like Tobi very much. Tobi not worth their effort, nya…" He then pouted. "How could anyone abandon the lovable Tobi?!"

Zraiko pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled. "Great...so now we will have to deal with you…"

I could imagine that Zraiko and Mikanne expected Tobi to be rescued by the other members of the cult. I almost fed bad for Tobi, all things considered. His own team was abandoning him here in this killing game? Perhaps they even intended for this to happen, throwing him under the bus unbeknownst to him.

Then I remembered why he was here at all in the first place. He wanted to take Kozaki away.

I should go back to Fraize's room now, then.

"Let me ask you something." Mikanne leaned in. "Does Haiji Daisuke take orders from someone?"

Tobi gasped. "You cannot say his name, nya! He is Erito!"

Mikanne crossed his arms, ignoring Tobi. "But Haiji...he's not _Master_ Erito, is he?"

"Are you meaning to say…" Zraiko looked over to the tattoo artist. "That this cult is comprised of people who all carry the namesake of Erito Hajimoto?"

"Indeed, I am." Mikanne felt as his left wrist. "Well, maybe not the entire cult. It's confirmed Haiji once went by the name of Erito. But...in the class trial, he mentioned another Erito." Mikanne then turned to Tobi. "Who is your master?"

Tobi shook his head. "Meowster Erito is."

"If you say _Meowster_ one more time…" Zraiko leaned in. "I'm going to put a muzzle on you, got it?"

While I questioned if Zraiko was bluffing or not, it seemed to shut up Tobi right away.

"... Now, who is _Master Erito?"_ Zraiko asked, frowning.

Tobi wouldn't tell them.

…

So there is someone above Haiji Daisuke in control of this operation - this killing game. Who could they be, and what were they hoping for…?

"Hmm…" Zraiko scratched his chin. "Tobi, are you close to your master?"

"Of course Tobi is." Tobi nodded. "Because Tobi gets to have his own name. Tobi doesn't have to be one of the hundreds of thousands of Eritos." The self proclaimed lab assistant smiled with pride. "Master gave Tobi this name. It shows Tobi is very special to him."

"Huh…" Zraiko crouched down. "But your master isn't going to come save his lab assistant?"

Tobi shook his head. "He cannot. It would be too foolish. He must protect his identity."

Then despite the fact Tobi claims he is close to his master, Erito will not even dare risk his identity for him.

This Erito...what kind of person is he?

"And...you are the closest to your master?" Mikanne asked, tilting his head lightly.

Tobi seemed to grow cold. "Tobi wants that…"

Ah?

"But there is competition." The alleged lab assistant continued. "No matter how long and hard Tobi works for his Master Erito, it's never enough. He never looks at Tobi the same way as he does to _that stupid,_ _ **stupid**_ _, annoying flesh bag bodyguard_ for his prescious experiment, Number One."

…

Stupid, stupid, annoying flesh bag bodyguard for his experiment…

…

"Fraize?" I asked, dropping into the conversation.

It seemed like I hit the nail on the head. Tobi grew angrier, I could feel his glare burn into me.

Mikanne motioned towards the door while shooting me a look. It was not in the manner of 'Get out.' It was more of a manner of 'Save yourself.'

I glanced back to Tobi. I could already feel his sharp nails claw into my neck again.

I nodded back to Mikanne quietly before leaving the room. They'll take care of things for me.

Maybe it's better that way.

Walking back to Fraize's dorm room, I felt my neck. What was I going to say to the others? To Kozaki?

Fraize was part of something in the cult. Assigned to be Kozaki's protector by Erito.

But why him? Who really was he?

Monobotto said he was Ramón Loarte, the Super-Highschool-Level Mafioso. But that was just what the robot was telling us. I wanted to know from him, but not even he knew who he was.

I want to find the truth. The truth that he was denied before death. For his sake, I wanted to know more.

…

I need to go back to Tobi. He might be the only one who could give me those answers.

But not now. I need to protect Kozaki now. It's what Fraize asked me to do.

Slowly opening the door to the dorm, I peeked inside to see Weise sleeping on the floor while Kyohi was leaning against the wall asleep. Quietly closing the door behind me, I walked over to check on the former arsonist.

He seemed to be in pain, like he was getting no rest despite being asleep. I thought for a moment that I should do something to comfort him, but then I decided against it.

I cannot...there is only room for one person in his heart. No matter what, I will be unable to heal him.

I wished Fraize was here now. I could imagine the two snuggling together, holding each other's weight with an embrace that said, 'I accept you. I love you, even for all your curves and edges.'

I do not believe what I am feeling is jealousy. I do not yearn for the same love that Kozaki and Fraize shared. I believe all I wish for...is the power to heal him. The power that Fraize had.

Two broken people, put together again by each other. No, I could never be the same.

But even still, if Riko could not be like Fraize...I wished that Riko could be enough. I do not want to replace him, but it seems like this is the path destiny is pushing me towards.

Riko was not enough. She found the truth, but could not save her friend. She could not ease her friend's pain, she could not do anything except watch.

…

No longer. I cannot do this anymore.

I am going to protect, just like I promised. I have to cast aside my older self; my doubtful, timid, anxious self.

I took a seat on the floor with my back laying against the side of Fraize's bed. I was not very sure what to do. Would I sit here awake all night?

I was too tired. I could feel my eyes start to droop, too exhausted by the recent events. Mei was killed, Fraize was punished, and this cultist suddenly appeared. All in less than 24 hours.

For now...all I want is to sleep.

* * *

…

My sleep was not very restful. Waking up this morning felt impossible. My body did not want to move, and my eyes wanted to close again.

I took out my Bottolet to check for the time, since I did not believe I woke up because of the morning bell.

…

It is already ten in the morning. I must have slept through the bell.

I looked upwards as I hugged my knees, staring at the ceiling with no thoughts at all.

"Riko?"

I looked over to see Weise standing beside me. He was twiddling his fingers with worry. "Last night...what happened when you left?"

Standing up, I held my hands together. "Mikanne and Zraiko have Tobi tied up. They're interrogating him at the moment, or...they were interrogating him last night." I looked to the side. "I should go and check on them."

"What about watching over Kozaki with us?" The young fashion designer tilted his head.

…

That's right. I made a promise. I have to protect Kozaki.

But keeping an eye on threats...that is part of protecting, is it not?

"I will, do not worry." I gave Weise a gentle pat on the head. Keep an eye on him here. I need to make sure that Tobi will not try to do anything to hurt us."

Weise quietly nodded and watched as I left the room. I was careful to not wake up Kyohi as I walked by.

As I headed towards the Shift Rooms, I could see Mikanne sleeping against the door to the room in use. I presumed that Zraiko must have been inside, then. Perhaps they were taking turns to sleep to ensure Tobi would be monitored?

I will have to come back later, in that case.

Back to Kozaki's room, then...

…

Actually, there might be something else I can do, first.

Walking over to the kitchen, I rubbed my hands together as I began to gather the ingredients I would need to make crepes. After all, we all need to eat some breakfast.

Preparing the crepes for everyone took me about an hour or so to do. Unfortunately, I burned about half of the ones I made.

I...hope this will be enough.

Now then, what kind of fillings should I use…

…

Blueberries. We made blueberry pancakes for Kozaki once. Creamy, blueberry crepes...I think he would like that.

So, I washed the blueberries and prepared the cream, then gently folding up the crepes as I thought about how I could deliver everyone their food.

I eventually decided to leave the plates for them, making multiple trips back and forth from the kitchen. I left two plates by Mikanne, as he was still asleep. I handed a plate to Weise, left one for Kyohi, then made one last trip to the kitchen to pick up the final plates.

…

When I returned to Fraize's room, Kozaki was not there.

"Weise?" I looked over to the young fashion designer. "Where is Kozaki?"

Weise looked up from his plate of crepes. "He told me he had to go to the bathroom."

"A-And you let him go by himself?" I worriedly placed one of the plates onto the nearby bed stand.

Weise puffed his cheeks. "Kozaki is a big boy. He can go to the bathroom on his own."

…

Weise is right...and not even that. Kozaki is not just a big boy. He's a twenty-year-old young man.

But at the same time...he is a fragile twenty-year-old young man.

"I'll...just go and check on him." I walked towards the door, nearly tripping over Kyohi due to my mind being somewhere else.

Walking towards the men's bathroom, I gave it a knock. "Kozaki? Are you there?"

No response. I do not actually believe he is even here. Going to the bathroom sounds like an excuse he would make to visit somewhere else in a quick enough amount of time.

Where did he decide to go instead, in that case?

…

I have an idea.

When I found Kozaki, he was sitting alone in the garden, just as I suspected. He wanted to see Fraize...despite the fact that we couldn't lay his body to rest. There he was, alone, in front of the graves. Alone, in front of a grave he made for Fraize.

We never did find his body. Not even his whistle. Any trace of his existence was whisked away. The only piece of him left was our memories of him.

I hesitated to approach the former arsonist. He seemed to be holding a makeshift bouquet of flowers he put together by picking the blossoms around this room. He laid the flowers down by the marker for Fraize before sitting on folded knees and pressing his palms together while closing his eyes. He seemed to be whispering something, a prayer. I had never seen him do this before.

I slowly found the courage to go over to him. I feared that he would be quite angry at me. That anger would be justified, however.

I am the one who pursued the truth that lead to Fraize's death.

…

I slowly knelt beside him and placed the crepes I was still carrying in front of him. He glanced at them and me for only a moment before standing up and leaving without a word.

I watched as he left, silently. Silly Riko, what were you expecting to happen?

Now I may have made things worse. The thought made my stomach turn.

I wanted so badly to help him. I wanted to ease the pain in his heart, but...it's just not possible, is it?

Sighing, I looked over to the graves in the room. Our friends are here, resting in peace. Our friends, except for Fraize. I feel like I partially understand what it is Kozaki is feeling. A mix of sorrow and anger. It is unfair, so unfair, that Fraize doesn't have the same chance to rest easy.

I placed the plate of crepes in front of the grave made for the tour guide, thinking he would like them. Well, if he even was a tour guide at all. The last thing he knew about himself was that his life was a lie, that he didn't know anything at all.

Everything about his death was unfair.

…

I sat with my legs crossed, examining the memorial Kozaki had made. There was a crown of flowers woven and braided together with care resting on top of a cross of sticks. The bouquet of flowers were laid down gently, and I could see folded slips of paper were placed besides it. Curiously, I picked up a slip and examined it. Written on it was the word, 'Believe.'

I picked up another slip of paper. It had the same message. In fact, all of the slips had that very word written on.

It seemed to be...obsessive.

I sighed and turned my attention back to the plate of crepes. It seems like cooking them for Kozaki was...a waste of my time. Silly, silly Riko...what were you hoping to happen? That they would instantly make everything better?

…

Closing my eyes, I thought of speaking to him, to Fraize. I figured he would never hear my words, but...part of me hoped that my words would reach him.

"I do hope you are resting easy, or...as easy as you can. I hope that you are not suffering, and that you have moved on to a better place." I looked up. "I wish I could ask you what to do now. You were always...always so bright. Your smile was warm, and I always felt like I could do things because of your encouragement."

My cheeks began to grow warm. It was because of the streams of tears I did not pay any attention to. "You were so happy when I found out the truth. You were proud of me, you believed in me. But the truth...at the cost of your life...I don't think I've ever felt a sorrow like this before. I feel guilty, I feel ashamed. I've brought despair to one of the closest friends I've ever had."

I wiped my eyes, taking my hat off with a deep sigh. "What do I do now, Fraize? What _can_ I do?"

There was no reply, though I could imagine he would say something along the lines of, 'Keep going. It's not over yet.'

Slowly standing up, I brushed my skirt before leaving the garden with my heart heavy. He's right, it's not over yet. I can't just keep sitting in place all gloomy, feeling sorry for myself.

There has to be something I can do. Something that can at least bring Kozaki out from his despair.

I don't want to stand by and continue to watch a dear friend of mine suffer like this.

My mind has been made up. I will do whatever I can to ease his pain. It's what Fraize would do, it's what I need to do now.

As it currently stands, Kozaki needs some time to be alone. I need to wait before trying to speak with him again.

So, I decided upon going back to Mikanne's Shift Room. What else _could_ I do?

Perhaps I may get the chance to speak with Tobi about the truth behind my friend. Although the topic does seem to irritate Tobi...I am saddened to admit that I am desperate for answers. For his sake, I need to know who he was.

I reached Mikanne's Shift Room, hoping to find the tattoo artist and hacker pair to speak with. I knew they probably would want to keep me away from Tobi, given how I left the room earlier with the alleged lab assistant's eyes burning into me.

But...neither the hacker nor the tattoo artist were present, and the door was left open.

Instead, I found Kozaki. He was standing in front of Tobi, almost frozen.

"Hey, hey, help me!" Tobi struggled in his restraints. "What are you standing around for?"

Kozaki did not reply.

"We are so, so, soooo behind schedule!" Tobi frowned. "Erito is going to be so, so, soooo angry!"

"Erito…?" Kozaki seemed to be in a trance.

I hurried over to the scene, taking Kozaki's shoulders and shaking him lightly. "You must hurry away from this person! They wish you harm!"

"Nya?" Tobi tilted his head. "Wish harm? Tobi is just the delivery boy!"

I did not believe that for a second.

"Who...are you?" Kozaki asked the alleged lab assistant.

Tobi seemed to grow cold and angered. "Who am I? _Who am I?"_

I gulped, squeezing Kozaki's shoulders slightly to signal him to be cautious.

"Come closer~" Tobi taunted him. "Tobi will whisper it into your ear."

Kozaki looked as though for a moment he would.

"Please wait!" I desperately tried to get the attention of my friend. "It could be a trick!"

Kozaki looked over to me before stepping back from Tobi. "Riko…"

"I came here to find Zraiko and Mikanne." I frowned at Tobi. "This man has ill intentions for you. He tried to take you away last night. They've been keeping him here, away from you."

"...He's one of them?" Kozaki looked back to Tobi.

"One of them? _One of them?"_ Tobi tilted his head, slowly. "How rude of you to treat me like those other scum. Do you hate me that much?"

"What the hell…?" The former arsonist seemed to be completely lost.

I reached over to take his hands. "Please, Kozaki, you must leave. You cannot be around such a dangerous person. He may try to trap you with those scientists."

The former arsonist looked back to me while biting his lip. He then turned to face the door.

"Going already…?" Tobi taunted him. "What ever happened to facing the truth? Oh...don't tell me you don't want to know it at all."

"The truth?" I asked, frowning lightly. "For all we know, you may as well be spilling out lies."

"But I am the only one of _them_ around." Tobi grinned in a smug manner. "I have all the answers." He then leaned in. _"The truth of your killing game...and who your pretty little mastermind is."_

Kozaki turned around and glared at Tobi. "What's that supposed to mean? We already know the mastermind is Erito Hajimoto."

Tobi smiled in a sly manner. "Practically everyone in the cult is called Erito. Only Master Erito is the mastermind...and I know _which one of you is him."_

Which one of us…?

Kozaki tried to brush it off, but I can see it was getting to him. "That's not possible...we already asked Monobotto. It would have given one of our names if we were the mastermind."

"...That means nothing." Tobi shook his head. "Your names...they could all be lies, nya? Your life, your identity...it could all be a fabrication. It's not that far out in the realm of possibility." Tobi then grinned. "After all, that's what happened with your little flesh bag bodyguard, right?"

…

Oh dear…

"M...My _what?"_ Kozaki grew cold.

"You heard me! That _stupid_ flesh bag bodyguard!" Tobi snarled. "That waste of space mafioso!"

"... _What did you say?"_ Kozaki asked, his tone growing harsh and angered.

Tobi's mouth curled into a malicious smile. "Do you really feel something about that bodyguard of yours? That stupid bodyguard that _loooved_ you?"

Kozaki's fists were shaking. He didn't reply.

"What was his name again?" Tobi tilted his head, acting naive. "Aw, he was so forgettable! Tobi is sorry, can't remember flesh bag bodyguard's name!"

"Y-You...fucker!" Kozaki advanced towards Tobi.

I quickly grabbed his hand. "Please wait! It is a trap! He is looking to get a rise out of you!"

Kozaki pushed me away violently. I found myself stunned on the floor, laying on my side.

The push itself did not hurt me, but I was scared. I could see it in his eyes, his spiralling rage. I thought the world was shaking before I realized it was my own body quivering in place.

Then his face softened up. He reached over to me before pulling his hand back. I could see the former arsonist was tearing up as he ran out of the room.

…

I do not believe I have ever seen a sorrow like this before.

"Nya...there he goes…" Tobi seemed to be rather disappointed.

I stood up slowly, rubbing my arm gently. It hurt, but not as much as my heart did. I thought of going after him, but...I was afraid. I was afraid my friend would hurt me. I was afraid he would kill me.

…

I turned back to look at Tobi. "You do know the truth, do you not?"

Tobi nodded to me.

"...What would it cost…" I held my hands together and frowned. "For you to tell me it?"

Tobi seemed to be entertained. "Pretty bird wants to strike Tobi a deal?"

"...I sincerely doubt you will just give up Erito's identity." I nodded. "However...I want you to tell me the truth about my friend, Fraize. I want to know who he was, really. Why was he even in your cult? Did he...want this killing game?" I gulped. "Was he even aware of participating in your experiment?"

Tobi looked from side to side first. "You will have to give Tobi something in return." He then looked back to me with a smile. "Show Tobi how much this truth means to you."

"...Are you asking me...to kill one of my friends?" I held my hands together, heart feeling heavy.

"Nya?" Tobi tilted his head. "The stinky robot gives you killing motives, not Tobi."

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "Goodness…"

"Tobi wants...your clarinet." The alleged lab assistant smiled.

"My clarinet?" I grew uncomfortable. "For what purpose?"

Tobi nodded to me. "It's not because Tobi needs your clarinet. Tobi wants it...just because it's important to you."

I could feel my stomach twist in response to that. "Then this truth about Fraize...is it really this valuable?"

Tobi continued to smile at me.

I sighed, nodding slowly. "I understand...I will give you my clarinet in exchange…"

…

My heart felt heavy as I left the room. My clarinet... _my aunt's_ clarinet. Am I really going to give up one of the most important pieces of my life for Fraize?

…

I shook my head and confidently made my decision.

Of course I will.

* * *

Five days after Sayino's death. That's what Fraize told me when I asked him this morning. Kozaki wanted to keep track, he explained, for how long it's been since someone perished.

"Is he alright?" I asked the tour guide, worriedly. "I have not seen him yet today."

"He's been...okay." Fraize turned to me, lowering his self-made ham sandwich. "I don't know. The color of his eyes changing...it's really starting to make him paranoid."

I looked at my own meal, a simple array of watermelon and sheep feta cheese. It was always one of my favorite comfort foods, especially on a hot summer day. "What should we do? Is there any way to help him?"

Fraize sighed, shaking his head. "I'm very sorry. I don't know what to do. All I can do is just be there for him...but is that enough? To just... _be there?"_

I slowly moved to place a hand onto his shoulder. "I'm sure you being there is more than enough." I smiled, kindly. "Your charisma always improves the mood of the room wherever you go."

"...Hehe." He flashed a bright, embarrassed grin. "Do you think so, my friend? Thank you."

I then stood up, picking up my plate to take out from the dining room and back to the kitchen. I paused at the door before leaving. "...Fraize?"

"Hm?" The tour guide perked up.

I glanced to the side before looking back to him. "If you could...please tell him I hope he is alright. And...if he needs anything from me, I would be happy to oblige."

Fraize nodded with a somewhat serious yet calming smile. "You've got it."

"Thank you." I returned his smile before leaving the room.

My relationship with Fraize has always been...somewhat unusual. Yes, I saw him as a dear friend to me. But there was always an awkward feeling in the air whenever we would be together.

It is true, how I had a crush on Kozaki. He was exciting, he was different than what I would have expected myself to fall for. I always saw myself as a girl who would settle down with someone and live a peaceful life by the beach. Or, perhaps the mountains. Quiet, calming spaces were always my ideal.

But Kozaki was certainly not quiet, nor calming. He was loud, vulgar, yet unconfident and lost. I wanted to help him find his way. I feel like...he helped me to come out of my shell. That without him, I would have stayed the same quiet, shy, embarrassed girl I always was before. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to find the confidence within to keep fighting to survive alongside him and my friends. That initial partnership we had when we first woke up in this place created thoughts that floated in my mind. _Would I want to live with someone like him?_

I thought I was being ridiculous at first. A killing game, dear goodness. Why am I thinking about romance at a time and place like this?

So I told myself to keep waiting. After the killing game, then I'll see if I feel the same. Either that, or I was only feeling something for the moment in the fear of dying alone in the killing game otherwise.

…

And waiting is what killed me. Waiting is what Fraize didn't do. Not waiting, and Kozaki fell for him.

When I saw them dance together at the masquerade ball, when I heard about their kiss, I knew I had waited too long. My chances were over.

…

But I didn't resent Fraize for it. I was happy for them. My two friends were in love, and I wanted them to be happy. After all...they really did seem to be meant for eachother. I wasn't jealous, or I would like to believe I wasn't. It was my fault I waited to say anything, not theirs.

I didn't want to get in the way of my friend's happiness. When Fraize began to read my letter out loud, I had to take it away. He knew it, and I knew it as well, what the motive was about.

Riko Hamoizumi loves Kozaki Daisuke.

…

Riko Hamoizumi _loved_ Kozaki Daisuke.

But she cannot love him, not in that way. Instead, she will love him like her friend. Because if she does continue to love him that way, it will only cause hurt for everyone around her.

That's why she was happy when he told her he could not return her feelings. So that she would stop hoping he felt something in return and leave him alone to be happy.

…

Fraize is gone now. My friend, Kozaki's lover, is gone.

…

If I were to do anything, it would be the most selfish and miserable thing I could ever do.

Riko Hamoizumi needs to move on.

Riko Hamoizumi cannot love Kozaki Daisuke.

Not in that way.

…

Instead, I will show my love for him through your will, Fraize. I will protect him, I will put him before myself. Just like you would have.

Just like you did, when you gave up your life to save him.

That is why I...am going to pick up your pieces. I am going to put you back together.

Even if it means I will fall apart…

It is the best I can do to return to you my friendship.

* * *

It was quite difficult emotionally for me as I picked up my clarinet from my Shift Room. I was going to part with perhaps my most precious memory. With the gift from my aunt, one of my greatest inspirations. All for the sake of my friend, for the sake of finding the truth - _his truth._

I've never done something so selfishly selfless in my life.

I stood by the entrance to the Shift Room Tobi was held captive in for quite some time. Mikanne and Zraiko, where were they?

I suppose they needed to take a break, but...leaving Tobi on his own like this?

Unless...maybe Kozaki convinced them to leave so he could speak with Tobi himself.

…

Perhaps it would be best to wait for Mikanne and Zraiko to return. After all, they had been the ones responsible for interrogating our interloper.

…

No, I should handle this on my own. Tobi may not even want to talk if I have anyone else with me.

The alleged lab assistant only continued to smile as I came inside the room. "You're back."

"I am." I nodded in return.

"Give Tobi the clarinet first." Tobi kept his eyes fixed on the precious instrument. "Then he will answer your questions about the flesh bag bodyguard."

The disrespect for my friend caused my hands to squeeze my clarinet. "...Only if you do not refer to him in such a repugnant manner."

Tobi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine…"

I slowly walked over to the alleged lab assistant before gently lowering my clarinet to the floor in front of him. Stepping back, it took a lot to prevent myself from awarding Tobi with my deep sadness.

"Tobi could smash the clarinet." He teased me as he picked it up and caressed it. "Tobi could do lots of things."

"Tobi...will tell me about my friend now." I frowned, pointing to him. "Do not lie to me. Otherwise...I will take my clarinet back."

Tobi shrugged. "Threat means little to Tobi, but he will bite." He then looked from side to side. "...Ramón Loarte. There is a lot to talk about."

I held my hands together. "Could you start at the beginning? How did Fraize find himself in this situation? Why was he protecting Kozaki?"

"Now, now. One question at a time." Tobi sat up properly. "I don't know all the 'deets' so you'll have to bear with me. Anyways...Ramón Loarte. He appeared after Tobi did. It was maybe...two years ago."

Two years ago...one year before we were kidnapped.

"A promise, that's usually how we all join." Tobi looked to the side. "We are promised things. Security, power...he probably wanted to give his family security from that mafia."

...That does sound like something he would do. He loved his family, probably more than anything.

"His talent...can you tell me about it?" I pressed for more information.

Tobi shrugged. "Tobi doesn't know much, mostly because he doesn't care for Ramón. What Tobi does know is...he never left the mafia, nya. Out of fear for his family's safety, he alone stayed behind. All the memories from leaving Madrid? Fake."

I silently looked down. All his precious memories with his family, watching his siblings grow free from the clutches of the mafia, it was all a fabrication.

Then...what is going on with his family? Are they safe?

"What did he do, staying in this mafia?" I looked back up to Tobi.

Tobi glanced to the side. "Hits. Since his dad was locked in the slammer, the mafia made him usurp his role."

…

Fraize...a hitman…

"You must've noticed the skill level used, to kill that vigilante." Tobi inquired me. "A single shot, perfectly aimed, killed instantly. It was as sharp of a job it could have been...but interestingly enough, he didn't go for the head." Tobi then smiled. "I guess that's that pattern at work, the pattern of those who kill many."

"Those who kill many?" I took some time to think about it. "How many people...has Fraize killed?"

"Many, many. Tobi heard through the grapevine." Tobi playfully swayed his body.

Fraize was kept in the mafia after his father's arrest, forced to carry out hits as a sort of debt. Then, he ended up in this cult with the promise of his family's security so the mafia would not be able to harm them.

"How did he get his name then?" I looked to the side. "The name, Fraize."

"Master Erito gave him this name." Tobi nodded. "Just like how Master Erito gave Tobi his."

"Does the name mean anything?" I looked back towards the alleged lab assistant.

Tobi nodded. " _Fraise_ is French for strawberry, did you know?" He then glances to the side. "It is funny because Master Erito used that word to insult Ramón once. Ramón understood some bits of French, as that was the fourth language he was learning." Tobi then looked back to me. "Erito found it funny how Ramón did not respond to the insult, so he declared his name would be Fraize."

Ah...I am not quite sure how I should feel about this.

…

That leaves one last mystery.

"Tobi…" I held my hands together. "Why Fraize? Why was he Kozaki's protector?"

Tobi was quiet for a while, as though he were searching for the answer. "...Erito chose him. What Tobi knows is that they had all of them line up."

"All of the cultists?" I asked to confirm. The number sounded astounding in my mind.

Tobi nodded. "They say it's because of the way he looked at Master...dead in the eyes. Nobody else could do it. It made him stop and smile."

I took that with a grain of salt. After all, it was incredibly vague. Just because of the way he looked at him?

There had to be more to it.

"Are you telling me everything, truthfully?" I looked at the alleged lab assistant in the eyes. "You are not hiding things or lying to me, correct?"

Tobi shrugged. "What would Tobi have to gain from that?"

I sighed, looking away. "I suppose I should have expected that answer from you."

There was a short silence before Tobi broke it. "I hate him."

"Jealousy?" I looked back to him.

"Don't you understand my feelings, birdy?" Tobi smiled at me. "He took away the attention of someone who you loved. You were jealous of him, just like me."

Holding my hands together, I concentrated on his words.

"He took away Erito from me…" Tobi's smile wavered. "Erito always looked at him differently, always appreciated him more. Tobi was never enough…" He then frowned. "Ramón was always by his side. Tobi was left behind."

I then closed my eyes before shaking my head. "You and I are not the same, Tobi."

"Hmm?" Tobi seemed to be curious about my response.

I then opened my eyes and nodded. "Because unlike you, I befriended Fraize and treated him as my equal. I wanted the best for my friends...and I didn't let my own desires cripple me."

Tobi then seemed to lose all interest in me. "Nya...what a shame. I thought there was more to you than that...but at the end of the day…"

I turned around to leave, wanting to just get away from the interloper.

"You really are the last grace of purity that remains in this hellbent game." Tobi spoke just audibly enough to hear. His voice was soft and gentle, as though his words were a genuine compliment.

I looked back to him for only a moment before finally exiting the room and closing the door behind me.

…

I cannot even trust a single one of these words. It pains me to realize I might have gambled away my most precious item only to be returned snake eyes.

All I can do now...is hope that I found myself with a little bit of luck.

If not...please forgive me for my foolishness.

* * *

Upon exiting Mikanne's Shift Room, I found myself to be walking around rather aimlessly. What was I going to do with this information now?

Should I tell Kozaki?

No, I cannot. He is already under enough emotional stress as it is. Mentioning anything about Fraize...it would be too much for him to handle.

Should I tell the others? Especially Zraiko and Mikanne?

And of what use would they even have for this information? The only other person besides myself who would be concerned by this is Kozaki.

What am I to do, oh what am I to do?

…

I should at least find the pair anyways so that Tobi is being watched. Then...I need to put my mind to something else.

Goodness, what time is it?

Far past lunch...I suppose that means I have found what to do for now, and that is to prepare something to eat.

Again? But I made everyone crepes already.

...It would not hurt to cook, at least for myself. I forgot to eat the crepes that were meant for me, after all.

So, I headed to the kitchen, passing by Zraiko and Mikanne in the hall. It turns out they were eating breakfast there, to which they thanked me. It looked like they thought it was safe to leave because they saw Kozaki wanted to see Tobi himself. In return I told them that Tobi was currently unwatched. They quickly headed off to resume their guarding duty.

The kitchen itself was where I found Kyohi, the hockey player busy preparing himself a simple salad. Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, some italian dressing…

"Oh, heya Riko." Kyohi smiled at me upon seeing me enter. "How are you doing?"

"Ah...I am alright." I smiled in return. "Are you making a salad?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Just something quick to eat before I go to my Shift Room to practice. It's...free now, right?"

I nodded. "At the moment, yes. There is one room available."

"That's good." Kyohi looked back to his salad.

I walked over besides him. "Your salad...may I help you prepare it?"

"Huh?" He looked to me.

"In truth...I am hungry. I did not have my breakfast." I sheepishly smiled. "That, and I should get something for Tobi to eat as well. He is our...err…'guest' after all. If you are alright with it, we could make a bigger salad to share?"

Kyohi smiled. "Sure you can. Your crepes were really good, but I needed to eat a little bit more food."

I quickly went to wash my hands before returning. Kyohi brought me a cutting board and a knife, then moved over a bowl of clean tomatoes in between us. "Then let us prepare this extra food together."

I cut the tomatoes quietly, thinking about my home life. I remember how I would help my parents in the kitchen. How I would try to learn how to cook to feed my siblings and cousins when no adults were home. I burned many, many things.

Most of the cuisine I would prepare was Bulgarian, oddly enough. Perhaps this is yet another example to show my slight identity crisis.

Bulgarian-blooded Romanian girl who cannot speak Bulgarian yet lives in a Bulgarian culture. My Bulgarian house life and my Romanian outside life would cause me great internal confusion.

How do I identify as? A Bulgarian, a Romanian, something else?

Silly Riko...why am I even thinking about this now? If anything, I need to be thinking about Tobi - about the things I learned circling around Fraize.

"Are you okay, Riko?" Kyohi asked me, worriedly. "You seem to be...really out of it. Gosh, if you're not careful, you'll cut your fingers!"

"Ah?" I looked over to see the knife was dangerously close to my fingertips. "Oh dear...thank you for your warning." I then carefully continued to cut the tomatoes, trying to prevent myself from falling back into absentmindedness.

"...Hey, what's bothering you?" Kyohi stopped cutting tomatoes to look at me. "You seem really...distracted by something."

I sighed, not saying a word until after I finished cutting the tomato. I looked over to the hockey player as I set down my knife. "It's about...the stranger we captured. He's connected to the cult, and I spoke with him."

"What did he tell you?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

I decided to withhold the information about his Mastermind taunt. "He told me about Fraize. He hates him."

Kyohi tilted his head. "Hates him? But he was such a sunny, optimistic guy. Not even Zraiko disliked him, and you know how antisocial he is."

I sighed. "Then again...the Fraize Tobi knew wasn't the same Fraize we knew. He told me about how he was in the cult."

The hockey player nodded. "Do you know why he was there, what he was doing?"

I nodded. "I do...and I cannot tell you, I am sorry. Tobi made me promise."

Kyohi seemed to be uneasy about my response, but didn't press me on it. "Kozaki...is he okay?"

"What do you mean?" I stopped to turn to him.

The hockey player gulped, stopping his own work on the salad. "Well...since you asked this person - Tobi - about Fraize...have you told Kozaki yet?"

I bit my lip and looked down. Kozaki...how would he feel if I were to tell him all of this?

"I have not, and I cannot." I shook my head. "He is too fragile now. Telling him...it could be too much for him to handle. He might break down, or who knows what?"

Kyohi did not seem to have anything he could say to contradict me. "...He's going to be very upset if he finds out you are hiding something about Fraize."

I nodded and turned back to the salad in progress. "I am fully aware of this. I hope that I will be able to tell him before he finds out in some other way."

Kyohi looked back towards the salad and resumed chopping the tomatoes, not sure what else there was to be said.

After we had finished assembling the salad, I took two portions with me back to the dorms. One for Tobi, the other for Kozaki.

After Kozaki ran out from the Shift Room, he must've gone back to Fraize's room.

And so, Kozaki must be hungry. If not yet, then soon.

Walking over to Fraize's door, I gave it a gentle knock. "May I come in?"

...

No response.

I looked to the side before knocking again. "Kozaki, I have brought you some food...may I come in?"

…

Still nothing.

I reached to turn the door handle, but it turned out to be locked. Sighing, I knelt to the ground and placed the plate in front of the door. Standing back upright again, I knocked one last time. "I have left it in front of your door, so you can take it whenever you like...I hope you will feel better soon, and do tell me if there is anything you need from me."

…

I then went back to Mikanne's Shift Room to provide Tobi with the other portion of salad. He was still there, caressing my clarinet with a smile. Mikanne and Zraiko looked as though they wanted to ask me about it, but I put a hand up to signal I would tell them about it later.

With that, I slowly turned to walk back to my room for a rest. All of these thoughts were racing through my mind.

What am I going to do now? The things I learned about Fraize were critical yet not enough. I know there is more that Tobi has not told me. Perhaps because they are things not even the alleged lab assistant knows about.

…

I suppose the best thing I can do is take a nap to refresh myself and clear my head.

* * *

~Chapter Six, Daily Life One, End~


	35. His Life, Their Pawn Daily Life 2

For the longest time, my life had peace. There were no crazy adventures nor antics. There were no melodrama nor rivalries. There was me, my family, and my question as to who I was. Life in Romania was quiet in terms of the crazy and unusual events. As a smaller country, we didn't really play that big of a part in the world's functioning. We stood in awe as the United States pressed forward with their space technology. We watched as skyscrapers in Germany grew to reach the horizon. In Japan, technology only continued to evolve. The world all around us was advancing, and we simply followed along.

It always felt like a capsule, compared to the rest of the world. A place with farms that aren't handled by robots. A place where you could look up to the sky and still catch a glimpse of the stars. How could trouble ever arise here?

Well...it started with two words. Faceless Kidnappings. That was what the news and media called the disappearances of students around the world. At first, it was said to be an issue contained in the Americas. But...once word broke out that a boy from Spain was taken...it exploded. Every country in Europe was allerted, even Romania.

"Ah, what the hell?" My father dropped a stack of newspapers onto the dining room table. "Marches to support the victim's and spread awareness?"

"Do not swear in the house, skŭpo." My mother turned to my father. "It's impolite."

My father scratched his head while looking to the papers. "I don't get it. Marching around isn't going to do any good. They should be working together to find these kids."

My mother patiently smiled. "They have good intentions. They might get the attention of someone who will be able to help them."

"And what are their parents and families doing about this?" My father grabbed some banitsa from the counter and set it on a plate.

"Actively looking to find their children, of course." My mother watched as my father opened the fridge to get some boza.

"If it were me, I'd beat the shit out of anyone who'd dare hurt my children." My father opened the cap to the boza and took a sip. "Like that Daisuke man."

"Tetsuya?" My mother inquired.

"What's-his-face. Is that his name?" Father shrugged with a smile. "Heard he's been off his rocker doing anything he can to get his son back. He's being active, unlike some of the other ones."

"Well, some of the other ones are ill or have reasons for being unable to go on a manhunt for the kidnappers responsible for this." My mother stood up from her chair and closed the blinds. The sun was setting, signalling the time for my little brother to be tucked in to sleep.

My father took another sip of boza before going to eat some banitsa. "I hope those kids get home safe and sound."

"Me too." My mother sighed, walking over to my brother. "Come on, bed time for you."

My father and I watched as my mother carried my brother out from the room. My father then chuckled and turned to me. "Riko, if anyone ever tries to lay a finger on you, you can count on me to fuck them up for you."

I sighed with a smile. "No swearing in the house, tatko."

…

And then, as cruel as fate would have it, I was taken.

"The whole damn country is doing what it can to help you." My father told me over the phone in the recent Loved One's Call. "Riko, tell me who Erito Hajimoto is. I'll fuck them up for you."

I looked to the side. "I am sorry, tatko. I do not know who Erito Hajimoto is."

"Ah, well...when you find out, let us know." My father replied. "I will - no, Romania will beat the shit out of him. You're going to come home safe to us, Riko."

I smiled and squeezed the phone, lightly. "Romania will?"

"You're our musical sunshine girl." My father proudly asserted. "Our representative, if you will."

"Don't say it like that…" My mother sighed quietly through the phone.

"Hey, sis!" I heard the sound of my brother yank the phone out of my father's hands. "You and your friends are gonna come home soon, okay?"

"Me and my friends…" I repeated to myself as reassurance.

"Yeah! Like that flamingo boy!" My brother confidently replied. "And that blueberry boy, the orange boy, the - hey!"

My father took the phone back.

"Riko, promise your father something, okay?" He asked, seriously.

I worriedly gripped the phone. "What is it, tatko?"

"Remember what I taught you." He beamed. "To always be kind."

"I thought that's what maĭka taught her..." My brother muttered.

"You be kind, too!" My father grumbled to my brother.

I giggled quietly and lowered the phone for a moment to wipe my face. I felt like for the moment I was back home with my family. My proud father, my gentle mother, and my sweet little brother.

When the call ended, I closed my eyes and pressed my hands over my heart. I felt as motivated as ever to survive. My family, my country, my life was waiting for me to return.

How much longer will they have to wait for me?

* * *

I overslept when I woke up the day after. It was hard to remember anything that stood out from that day, as I had spent the entire day thinking about what I learned from Tobi. I wanted to know more, I wanted to find the answers to questions I didn't even know I had.

My mind was trapped, being held by the alleged lab assistant. No matter how many times I wanted to think of something else, I couldn't. My mind kept going back to him. To Tobi, to Fraize, Kozaki, I didn't even know any longer. I just knew that I wanted to see Tobi again.

But Mikanne and Zraiko would not allow it. The pair were actively guarding the inside of the room, keeping me away from Tobi. When I insisted on coming inside, the pair walked over to me and closed the door behind them.

"Please, Riko...this man is dangerous." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Part of the cult, he's probably looking to play mind games with you."

"After all…" Mikanne glanced to the side. "Isn't Tobi...holding on to _your_ clarinet?"

I nodded, quietly.

Zraiko raised an eyebrow. "From that response, it looks like you gave it to him. Why would you do that?"

I let out a sigh. "He...gave me information on Fraize in exchange. I had to know the truth…" I looked up. "For his sake."

Zraiko worriedly crossed his arms. "How would you even know if that cultist is telling you the truth?"

I looked down. "I would hope he was…but I would not know."

The pair picked up on the insecurity of my answer.

"What did he tell you?" Mikanne asked, holding his left wrist.

I looked back up as I began to relay the information I had learned from the interloper.

"And you really believe that?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses.

"Unfortunately...there is nothing to verify or reject this." I held my hands together. "For now...I have to just believe it to be the truth. There currently doesn't seem to be anything to contradict this."

The pair sighed and dismissed me from the area. I knew they had my safety in mind and were excusing me with their best intentions. However, deep down inside, I felt an emotion of some kind that was a mix of resentment and anger, though it was quite watered down. These were my friends who were cutting off my access to the alleged lab assistant - cutting off my access to find answers. While I trusted them to take care of the situation, I wanted to be involved as well. It felt like part of my responsibility to take care of Kozaki.

…

Soon it was tomorrow, and then the day after that. A repetition of events was happening just as it did before. Just as it did, before Mei and Fraize were gone. Waking up, eating, spending free time, going back to sleep, a mindless cycle of repeated events.

Everything was the same. The sullen looks on our faces, the tension in the atmosphere. The interloper looming our minds, and Kozaki still locking himself away from us.

I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling without any will to move. I ran out of motivation. I could not go to Tobi to find out more information, and Kozaki was still keeping himself locked in his room. I could spend my free time with Kyohi and Weise, however...I was just too tired.

My bed felt warm, and my blankets hugged me softly. I hugged one of the spare pillows as I closed my eyes. I wanted to stay in this cocoon, to rest and go through some sort of metamorphosis that would give me the energy I needed to go on.

I was forced to come out of bed upon hearing my door knock.

"Who is it?" I slowly sat up and brushed my hair with my fingertips.

"It's Mikanne. Could I come in?" The voice called through the door.

Something about that made me excited. Or, was that the right word? It felt like something different and important was happening. Quickly, I slipped out of bed and walked barefoot to the door. My pajamas were shifted and I had a severe case of bed-head, but none of that mattered for the moment. I opened the door, looking up to the tattoo artist. "How may I help you?"

"It's nothing, really. I just came by to return this to you." Mikanne handed me my aunt's clarinet. "We finally got that guy's grubby 'paws' off of it."

I hesitated on taking it back. "Oh, well...thank you."

Mikanne seemed to be confused by my hesitation. "Is everything okay, Riko?"

"A-Ah, it is nothing." I quickly took the instrument from his hands. "I am just waking up, is all. I really do appreciate it."

Before he could speak any more on the matter, I asked him to leave so I may get dressed. He did so right away, allowing me to close my door and lock it.

Lying to my friends, it feels terrible. I can feel it in my chest, the guilt that is slowly but surely starting to grow.

I opened the closet door and carefully buried the clarinet under a pile of spare clothes. Shutting the door, I leaned against the closet as I sank to the floor.

I was so willing to stupidly give up something that wasn't even mine for Fraize. I didn't even know if this cultist would tell the truth, and I made a ridiculous gamble that was a complete disrespect to my aunt.

I felt disgusted with myself. I no longer felt any sense of worthiness to handle the precious instrument.

Asking for forgiveness would be too selfish of me. I allowed Tobi into my head, just as he wanted. He had no real power over me. There was no real reason to let his hands touch the clarinet. Nothing ever stopped me from taking it back except for myself.

Because silly, silly Riko does not deserve the instrument. My aunt, my family, they must be so disappointed in me. I am truly sorry.

…

"He's tied up real good, right?" A voice asked from outside the door.

"Right." Another voice affirmed.

I slowly rose to my feet and pressed my ear against the door.

"We can't go making any decisions without everyone knowing. This includes Kozaki. He has to know."

"Alright. Let's ask him then."

I rushed to get dressed and braid my hair. I then hurried to the door and opened it.

Outside were Zraiko and Mikanne. It seemed like they were surprised by my sudden entrance.

"Woah there, take it easy Riko." Mikanne awkwardly chuckled. "You look like you're ready to run a marathon with that speed."

"Actually, you really shouldn't sprint in a marathon." Zraiko corrected him. "It burns out your stamina and-"

Mikanne squinted his eyes to the hacker. That got him to go quiet pretty quickly.

"If I may ask," I caught my breath, "What is going on?"

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "We're looking to collect opinions on what to do about Tobi. Weise and Kyohi already shared, and Kyohi is watching over Tobi for us right now."

Weise shyly waved hello to me, to which I waved back with a small smile.

"We're looking for Kozaki." Mikanne glanced over to Fraize's room. "Let me guess. He's inside, right?"

I nodded. "Indeed."

Zraiko then worriedly looked away. "...Riko, you've been keeping check of him, right?"

I nodded again. "Yes, I have been."

Zraiko turned to look at me. "What's this salad? The one just laying in front of the door."

I blinked, confused by the question. "It is a salad I made for him to take when he gets hungry."

"Ahuh…" He seemed to grow even more worried. "And...may I ask when did you make it?"

I felt at my chin. "Around the time I had that deal with Tobi. Why do you ask?"

Zraiko and Mikanne worriedly exchanged glances. Weise also seemed to be very nervous.

"Riko…" Mikanne grew very anxious. "When was the last time you spoke to Kozaki?"

"About the same time, a bit earlier." I held my hands together. "Tobi said some insulting things about Fraize. It caused Kozaki to lock himself in the room because it made him greatly upset."

Mikanne turned to the door. "Did he come out since then at all?"

I shook my head, slowly.

Zraiko quietly muttered, "Oh boy…"

Weise gulped and twiddled his fingers. "Oh no…"

"What is the matter?" I tilted my head, a bad feeling crawling on my back.

Zraiko took in a deep breath. "Riko, that was _three days ago."_

* * *

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me." Mikanne's voice held disbelief as he walked over to the door and knocked on it. "Zaki? Kozaki? Open the door, please."

There wasn't an answer.

"Damn it…" Mikanne muttered. "I'm going to break it open."

"Please wait!" I tried to discourage him. "Monobotto would not take this too kindly!"

"The last thing I care about right now is what that bucket of bolts thinks." Mikanne firmly grabbed the doorknob as he slammed the weight of his body into the door. "Damn it…!"

"Maybe we can pick the lock." Zraiko offered, calmly. "Do you have a paperclip?"

Mikanne shook his head.

The hacker glanced to the side. "Mmh... we'll need to find something else, in that case."

"How about looking in the arcade for a prize to use to pick the lock?" Weise offered, looking panicked for ideas.

Mikanne frowned. "He's already been in there for three days. I'm not going to just go and play a game."

I looked to the side in thought. "Would it be possible for Weise to find something?"

"Weise?" The tattoo artist was surprised.

"Me?" The young fashion designer looked in my direction. "But if not the arcade, from where?"

I nodded. "Your Shift Room. Do you think you could get some needles or anything similar from there?"

Weise confidently nodded before hurrying away. "I am on it!"

He soon came back with a cup filled with needles of different thicknesses. Zraiko carefully used them in an attempt to unlock the door.

One, nothing.

Two, nothing again.

Three, nothing still.

Four, five, six.

 _Click._

"Got it." Zraiko twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.

…

The smell of the room was the first thing that hit me. It was repulsive, as though I had gotten a whiff of a skunk's act of defense.

The sight itself was difficult for me to even comprehend. Everything was in disarray. Paper balls were crumbled and tossed across the floor, the desk was covered in scraps and scribbles of work, clothes were dropped onto the floor without a care, and Kozaki was laying in bed. He was completely indifferent to it all.

"What the hell?!" Mikanne stormed over to the former arsonist. "Have you been leaving yourself to rot in here?!"

Kozaki did not reply. He only looked at Mikanne with sullen, lifeless eyes.

"You haven't been eating or drinking, not even taking a shower, not even putting in any effort to take care of yourself!" Mikanne frowned, pointing at Kozaki. "You need to clean yourself up, first thing. Actually, I don't even think I can trust you to take a shower on your own! Get out of bed, Zaki. Get out."

Kozaki did not respond.

"Fine, whatever." Mikanne picked up Kozaki and carried him on his back. "We're going to get you back to life now, okay?"

I watched as they left the room, Kozaki doing nothing to retaliate.

…

"I don't even think fifty air freshener cans will be enough to get this stink out!" Weise covered his nose.

"If he didn't leave the room for three days..." Zraiko slowly took his glasses off and groaned as he placed a hand onto his forehead. "To not even care in the slightest about his health and wellness...he looked like he was ready to die."

I felt guilt wash over me. He left himself to decay, he let himself give up on everything.

As someone who was asked to protect him, I felt like a failure.

Zraiko nodded to the young fashion designer. "Weise, go inform Kyohi about this for me. I'll start to make an effort to clean things up, and maybe I'll ask that tin can while I'm at it to get it to clean up this place."

Weise nodded in return and hurried off.

"I'm...going to be back." I looked for an excuse to leave, then picking up a pile of blankets stained with Kozaki's regurgitation. The smell was putrid. "I-I will take care of the blankets."

I then hurried out to the laundry room on the first floor, even stripping off my own clothing minus of undergarments and putting them in the wash. Letting out a heavy sigh, I turned on the machine and rubbed my arms, shivering lightly.

The next thing I decided to do was dash into the downstairs girl's bathroom. Going upstairs would be too much of a risk of being seen.

I needed to shower, not even just from carrying the filthy blankets. It was difficult to swallow the fact that my own hygiene had been suffering recently. It took this moment to actually get me to realize this. This killing game...it is getting to me.

And not only me. Everyone.

It felt quite wonderful to be washed by a wave of hot water. I took a seat on the floor, just wanting the heat to wash my worries away.

I could take as much time as I want here...after all, I am the only girl left. Nobody will be waiting for me to come out.

Well, I suppose the boys may want help with cleaning up the room…

They will be fine.

The thought is quite saddening, how not many of us are left. So many of our friends have perished in the cruelest of ways.

Erito Hajimoto...he could be any one of my friends as Tobi claims. He could be the intelligent hacker, trying to organize us and keep us together. After all, he spent quite a lot of time in the beginning alone except for the tattoo artist's company. He could be Mikanne, the childhood friend of Kozaki and the one who knew the truth about his identity. Dare he be Kozaki, the experiment of this entire killing game. The one who knows the least of the truth, yet had saved us so many times in the past. Could he be Kyohi, the hockey player looking to energize our group? Or even Weise, the young and naive fashion designer just being an act?

 _Does Erito Hajimoto even exist?_

…

All I know is that he isn't me.

I wish I did not have those doubts. I wanted to keep believing in my friends.

However, this game is pushing us to our limits. If I am pushed any harder...I might be the next one to perish.

How horrible...to die out in space, with an audience eating up all of your misery.

…

Alas, all I know for certain is that I need to protect Kozaki. What is most frightening about this is that I do not even know what I am protecting him from. Is it from Erito, the cult, Monobotto? Or...is it something else entirely?

…

The hot water felt especially nice on my shoulders. It was as if it was giving me a massage as comfort. It was telling me to relax, to stop thinking of such ridiculous things.

The trust in my friends...it's all I can believe in. If that makes me a fool, a clown, or whatever else that robot uses as an insult...then so be it. I refuse to give Monobotto what it wants. I refuse to satisfy it.

What is it that I can do, then? What can I do to save my friends? What can I do to end this game?

…

I thought about it for quite a while as I brushed my hair with my fingertips. To end the game…

Where have we gone wrong so far?

Yuuta and Kamiyaki tried to end the game through the Puzzle Room. We were given a riddle just before Ingreis and Soro died. When Neizami, Tikari, and Anne passed, Kozaki was given the _Danganronpa_ envelope - a prize from the Puzzle Room. Sayino died in the room itself, trying to solve whatever the riddle was.

We never did solve it, did we? Could it be that solving this riddle will be what it takes to end the game?

Is it even possible to solve it now?

...

I know what I am going to do today.

As I walked through the hall back to my room, towel wrapped over me like a tight hug, I passed by Weise.

"Oh, Riko!" He smiled at me. "Your hair is down!"

I smiled in return, holding my hands together. "Ah, well...I did just take a shower."

"You look really pretty with your hair down." The young fashion designer complimented me. "You should do it more often! Besides, it's not healthy to keep your hair tied up all the time. It needs to breathe every now and again."

I gave my hair a small whip with my hand to test the feeling. "...Thank you, Weise. I will consider it."

"You seem like you've been doing a lot of thinking." He nodded.

Looking away for a moment, I turned back to him. "I have indeed. In fact...wait here. There is some place I would like you to visit with me once I am ready."

Weise tilted his head in confusion for a moment before slowly nodding. "Oh, okay. I'll wait in my room. If I stay around Fraize's any longer, I might pass out from the smell…"

I sighed quietly as I glanced to the room. "I understand."

I made the trip to my bedroom quick, putting on a fresh outfit and leaving my hair down. It is true that I've kept it braided this whole time. Perhaps this new look with give a little pep in my step for the day.

* * *

I then met Weise at the Grand Staircase before walking all the way to the entrance to the Puzzle Room. I stopped and turned to him. "Weise, may I ask you something?"

The fashion designer tilted his head. "What is it?"

"This place...what do you make of it?" I turned to look back to the entrance. "This final puzzle. What would happen if we were to solve it?"

Weise twiddled his fingers. "I'm not sure. Monobotto made it sound like solving it could end the game, but...I don't believe it very much."

"Haven't you noticed that almost everything happens because of this room?" I held my hands together. "The deaths, I mean."

Weise looked down in discomfort. "Well...it does seem like it. That is why I do not want to go inside. Actually, I want to stay far, far away."

"Can you answer a question I have honestly?" I closed my eyes."

"I always answer questions honestly!" Weise insisted. "Because that is what my mentor taught me. If you make something that is not your standard, be honest and work harder! Don't just give your customer something when you know you haven't given it your honest effort!"

His analogy actually was somewhat fitting here. I giggled lightly before looking to him with a smile. "Should I try to solve this puzzle, Weise?"

The young fashion designer shook his head. "No, Riko. You should not. Because...I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to be cursed and die."

I patted him on the head, smiling. "Thank you for your honesty."

We stood together in a short silence before Weise's stomach grumbled.

"It looks like you're hungry." I teased him, poking him in the belly. "Come on, I will make us crepes."

Today's crepes: Banana, strawberry, apple filling with chocolate sauce on top. Percentage of crepe burnt: 15 percent. I'm getting pretty good!

We sat down together on the table in the kitchen.

"Oho, look at these strawberries!" Weise lifted up one in his bite. "The crepes taste much better with them." He then took a bite before setting down his fork to chew and swallow properly. "Riko, do you like strawberries?"

I took a bite of my own crepe, nodding. "I do like them."

"They were my mother's favorite." Weise smiled, sadly. "Mother loved everything with strawberries. Ice cream, crepes, even more strawberries...I feel like I should eat more. It would make Mother happy, I hope."

"Weise…" I lowered my fork and looked to the fashion designer.

"If Mother sees me enjoy strawberries...I think she will be able to enjoy them, too." Weise nodded. "So I have to do my best to give my Mother lots of strawberry happiness."

That was very heartwarming to hear. I nodded to him in return. "I am sure that you will always bring your mother happiness, so as long as you are kind and loving just as you are."

"Really? Oh, thank you Riko." He finished his crepe, then showing me a beaming, chocolate-stained smile. "You're probably right."

I then closed my eyes, relaxing myself lightly.

But then...those little thoughts started to creep in. The doubt in my friends, the shadow lurking around me. The alleged lab assistant's words slipped into mind.

 _'Fraise_ is French for strawberry, did you know? It is funny because Master Erito used that word to insult Ramón once.'

…

Fraise.

Fraise is French for strawberry.

 _French._

No, that couldn't be it. There is no way I could suspect him just because of a word. Right?

Of course not. And to prove that my suspicion is ludicrous, I will ask him about his story from before the game began.

"Weise?" I turned to the young fashion designer. "May I ask you something?"

Weise looked back over to me, smiling this time without flashing the chocolate stains on his teeth. "What is it?"

I looked to the side. "I suppose I am a bit curious...what was life like for you, before the game? I know you have told me about your mentor, and about how he was a strong parental figure to you. I know about your parents, and how they unintentionally did not give you the attention you needed to be raised. I know about your cat, your butler, but…"

"Hmm?" The young fashion designer tilted his head, not quite following me.

"I want to know...how you were taken." I let out a heavy sigh. "You sounded like you were under constant watch over your family and your mentor, even the paparazzi. So...what happened to you?"

Weise puffed his cheeks as he twiddled his fingers. "It...makes me sad to remember."

"Sad?" I asked, worriedly.

He nodded, slowly. "It was the day my father gave me an errand. He wanted me to design him clothes for an upcoming speech. Or...I believe so. It has been so long, after all…" He felt at his head. "B-But now, because of what happened to Fraize and Kozaki...I'm starting to question my own memory."

I got out of my seat to walk over to him. I patted his shoulder, gently. "It is alright, I understand." I closed my eyes. "I believe at times...I have felt the same."

Weise gave me a light hug. "It's scary, Riko."

I hugged him gently in return. "It is, truthfully."

"I remember I was alone." Weise nodded, slowly. "Because I wanted to be. I wanted to prove that I could be responsible and get everything I needed from everywhere I had to go without relying on my butler to escort me. It wasn't very long until I was recognized...so I tried to slip away, up the Eiffel Tower." He looked up to me. "The view is always so pretty. I liked to go there often, since…it inspired me."

"And from there, you were taken?" I held my hands together. "Wouldn't you have been witnessed by anyone?"

Weise shook his head. "I do not know. I passed out...though, my father told me when I spoke to him...a helicopter was spotted nearby." He then turned to me.

I looked to the side for a moment to think about this. The one time Weise wanted to prove to himself he could be outside on his own without the watchful eye of the people in his life, and yet...look how it turned out. It was like a slap to the face for everyone. A sort of 'I told you so' moment that left his family, butler, mentor, and even his cat in deep sadness.

"Riko?" Weise poked me in the arm, looking for my attention. "You look like you're staring off into space...a lot like Kozaki, yes?"

I turned back to him and shook my head with a smile. "A lot like him? Well, I suppose Kozaki does tend to go to his own world when he thinks deeply about things. Maybe he's rubbing off on me."

"You're not going to swear and commit crimes, are you?" Weise asked in what I believed to be a joking manner.

I shook my head. "No worries, Weise. My family taught me that swearing is indecent. Or, well...atleast my mother did. I will not be cussing here, nor anywhere."

The young fashion designer giggled in response. "Oh, goodie."

I took some time to clean up everything in the kitchen before looking to the exit. "We should be going. Zraiko shouldn't be left to take care of the bedroom all on his own."

"Oh...but do not want to get stinky!" Weise pouted. "I was happy you bumped into me in the hallway to give me an excuse to stay away from that room."

"What did Kyohi say, by the way?" I tilted my head, curious about the hockey player.

"He's staying with Tobi, still." Weise nodded. "He has to keep watch, after all. Though, he did say he would be willing to help if we really needed the extra hands."

"Better not to leave that lab assistant unguarded." I held my hands together. "Who knows what may happen then?"

Weise nodded. "Oho, I understand. He may need help with finding the bathroom!"

A short giggle escaped from me as I smiled. "Yes, I suppose Tobi would need help with going to the bathroom."

On our way back upstairs, Weise looked to the side. "Hmm, hmm…"

"Is something on your mind?" I asked, turning to him.

Weise looked back to me. "I need to finish a surprise now that Kozaki is out of his room."

"A surprise?" I asked in a - for lack of better words - surprised manner.

"Yes, yes!" Weise pridefully nodded. "I have been working on a special gift, and it's almost finished!"

"I take it that you won't be returning to help clean the room." I crossed my arms, looking at Weise as though I were a mother about to tell off her child.

Weise puffed his cheeks and turned away. "Hmph!"

Giggling lightly, I looked forwards as we climbed the steps. "Alright. Just don't take too long."

Smiling gleefully, the young fashion designer skipped away towards the Shift Rooms. Meanwhile, I headed into Fraize's room.

The smell wasn't as strong as it was the first time. In fact, it was almost faded out by now. I caught a glimpse of the hacker leaning against the wall, so I walked over to him. "Is everything going okay here?"

Zraiko smiled. "Just perfect. Look at this."

I turned to see Tobi grumbling as he scrubbed the floor with a large wet sponge. Kyohi was holding a large bucket of soapy water nearby.

"Zraiko…" I placed my hands onto my hips. "I do not believe this is appropriate."

"What?" Zraiko crossed his arms, still smiling and feeling no regrets. "I think this is perfect."

Sighing, I shook my head and changed the subject. "Mikanne and Kozaki, how are they?"

Zraiko's expression grew to be more serious. "Mikanne said he finished giving Kozaki a much needed refreshing. Though, when I saw him for myself, something just felt weird."

"Weird?" I tilted my head.

"Like…" Zraiko felt at his chin. "He wasn't like himself at all. He just stood and looked around mindlessly. He looked possessed, even."

That caused me a great deal of worry. "Oh dear, I should hurry to check on him…"

"You shouldn't." Zraiko shook his head. "He needs time alone right now."

"I'll only be a moment." I insisted.

Adjusting his glasses, Zraiko critically asked me, "Why?"

"Ah?" That caught me off guard.

"Why are you so protective of him recently?" The hacker questioned me. "I understand he is going through a heartbreak, but you are acting like some helicopter that hovers over him and watches his every move."

I gulped, not even realizing this from myself. "Truely?"

Zraiko nodded in response.

I let out a sigh. "It may be that I have become protective of him. But I...made a promise to Fraize." I nodded, firmly. "And I have the fullest of intentions to keep that promise."

Zraiko did not respond.

"Please, let me do this." I felt like I was begging to him. "Let me keep protecting Kozaki."

Zraiko took off his glasses and held his forehead with a long sigh. "Damn, you really are certain of doing this." He put his glasses back on and faced me. "But...aren't you being too invasive of his space?"

I looked to the side for a moment as I pondered over this. Zraiko brings up a valid point. I have been almost...forcing my presence onto Kozaki. Making him food he didn't ask for, trying to spend time with him when he wanted to be alone, I could not even trust if he had gone to the bathroom on his own.

Goodness, what is wrong with me? Silly, silly Riko.

Zraiko took notice to the lack of response I gave. "You need a break, Riko. Stop worrying so much about him." He then frowned, lightly. "You need to worry about yourself, as we all do. If you spend all your time trying to protect him, you're going to wither away."

I sighed, closing my eyes to think. "You may be right, Zraiko. However...I made a promise to Fraize. I have to keep it."

Zraiko then placed a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "You may have made a promise, but you are the one that chooses how to keep it. Are you willing to give your mind, body, and spirit up for this?"

I wasn't sure if even I knew the answer.

"Go get some rest, Riko." Zraiko moved his hand away. "Kyohi and I will finish taking care of things here."

I took a quick glance over to the hockey player, as well as the alleged lab assistant.

Tobi locked his eyes with mine, mouthing something to me. I couldn't quite make out what it was.

I then looked back to the hacker and nodded. "Alright, I will be going. Take care, Zraiko."

Zraiko nodded back to me and watched as I left the room. I could still feel Tobi's gaze locked into me. It felt like he was getting closer and closer, reaching towards my throat again.

When I blinked, I then realized that the alleged lab assistant had ran right past me.

* * *

I stood still as I watched Zraiko and Kyohi chase after Tobi. In a blink of an eye, everyone was gone. I felt like I was completely alone in the universe. No more voices, no more people, just myself. That was how desolate and lifeless this place had become.

I closed my eyes to recall the first few days here. I remembered my friends. Yuuta, Kamiyaki, Ingreis, Soro, Tikari, Neizami, Anne, Sayino, Mei, and Fraize.

And Fraize.

Fraize.

Fraize, Fraize, Fraize.

I couldn't get him out of my head. He was everywhere. All I could see was him. His wild orange hair, his golden eyes with the rays of the sun, and his warm grin.

It was like he was never gone. I couldn't believe he _was_ gone. He felt too alive when I closed my eyes. His smile, his laugh, his everything. I couldn't stop seeing him.

He was here, there and everywhere. He wouldn't get out of my head.

Was this how Kozaki felt about this? Was this why he left himself to rot away in Fraize's room?

And all those papers scattered about...what were they?

Pausing for a moment, I decided to walk back inside his room. It took me a mere few seconds to notice the trash bin was stuffed full with all the scrap papers Kozaki had been writing on. Zraiko might've been the one to do this while cleaning up.

Reaching into the trash, I picked up one of the papers and fixed it up to read it to myself.

Scribbles. Tons and tons of incomprehensible scribbles.

...Or were they?

The more I stared at it, the more things started to look like a code, or some puzzle.

I picked up another paper. More of some kind of code.

I pulled out each and every sheet of paper and took pictures of them with my Bottolet. After all, the others might think I've started to develop the same delusions Kozaki had. After returning the papers to the trash, I stepped out of the room and decided to find a private place to study.

The classrooms near the auditorium should be good enough. Hardly anyone goes there, and...it's one of the few places left where nobody has died.

Tucking away my Bottolet, I walked down the Grand Staircase and headed towards the Compass.

By chance, I spotted Kozaki laying down on a bench in the Compass by the fountains. He seemed to be in better condition than he was when we first found him. He had taken a shower, and was wearing fresh new clothes.

Ah, wait a moment. He's wearing new clothes?

His pants were now grey instead of black, and rather than his usual maroon sweater he was wearing a maroon button-up underneath a black cardigan. There was some sort of metal piece strapped to his chin. It made me wonder if it was meant to support a gas mask of some kind. His hairstyle also was new. It looked like Weise was finally given the chance to give the former arsonist a haircut. His hair was now swept to the side, trimmed just a bit to keep it in order.

Only two consistencies remained: His sneakers and Fraize's locket.

Did Weise put this outfit together for him? It must have been over the past days. Kozaki must've just gotten the outfit as a get well soon gift today.

I decided not to approach Kozaki, figuring he would need the space. Though, I was curious as to what he was doing.

Fraize's locket was in his hand. He seemed to be staring at it while contemplating on doing something. He then sighed and pressed a tiny button to open the locket. Though I couldn't see what was inside...it seemed to give Kozaki solace as a shy smile appeared on his face. He whispered something, though I could not hear what it was.

…

I should leave him alone for now.

I then continued on my way to the classrooms, stepping inside the North one.

The classroom had books - as the library did - but it also had papers and worksheets that I could sit down at a table and work with. To be honest, I wasn't so sure how to feel about being in this room. I believe that Tikari spent a lot of her free time here, studying for nothing.

Ah, I shouldn't say for nothing. Any studying is good studying, right?

Right now, I should be studying these papers that I found.

Wait a moment, there are cameras here. Should I really be reading these papers in front of the cameras? After all...the dorms are the only place, allegedly, without cameras. Maybe I should go back to my room.

But then coming here was a complete waste of my time. Silly, silly Riko…

Ah, well...I could still find some information in this room to help me. After all, I've never been here to study before. I wonder what things Tikari must've learned about while she spent her free time here.

Picking up a book, I sat down at a desk and prepared a sheet of paper and a pen for myself. I will be learning about...

 _The Daisuke family?_

My first instinct was to put everything back and leave. Looking at this...it would be far too invasive of me to read through and study.

But, on the other hand...it could give me a chance to learn more about Haiji Daisuke.

…

Then it is decided. I will only be looking at Haiji's material.

Cracking open the book and flipping past chapters for who I believed to be Kozaki's grandparents, I stopped at Haiji's section and began to read.

Haiji Daisuke entered into a killing game unbeknownst to his parents and older brother. He had a great love for the show _Danganronpa,_ and wanted to join in the fun. Though, there are some other reasons for him joining besides just being a fan. He wanted to win. He wanted to escape alone, to win the prize money, to feel untouchable. Perhaps this was because he was the younger sibling. Winning in his eyes would make him feel superior.

Well...he did win. Despite the fact that his memories were lost, despite the fact he made friends to survive with along the way, his one selfish desire led him to the outcome he wanted.

Haiji, as Erito Hajimoto, survived class trials and tribulations. Haiji, as Erito Hajimoto, killed his closest confident Tsubomi Nono with her own cooperation and painted it as her suicide. Haiji, as Erito Hajimoto, cunningly manipulated his friends into believing that Tsubomi had taken her life. Haiji, as Erito Hajimoto, watched as his friends were executed and their blood was spilled all over the floor. Haiji, as Erito Hajimoto, received the prizes from winning.

And it didn't stop there.

Haiji chased after his brother Tetsuya into the United States. Haiji wanted his brother's approval and respect. Instead, his brother left him and his family for a wonderful woman named Lauren. Haiji spited Lauren for ruining his brother. Keeping him stuck in a community where he could barely make a living. Keeping him stuck to her with the birth of their son.

Haiji wanted revenge. Haiji took it out on their son. Everything. He was abused and beaten, but Haiji always managed to slip away.

Is this the truth?

Kozaki Daisuke. Born in New York, not in Pennsylvania. Kozaki Daisuke. Experimented with during his childhood, not spending his days happy and carefree.

Kozaki Daisuke still doesn't know. Or, I believe he still doesn't. Fraize asked Mikanne to tell him the truth, but I have reason to believe Kozaki must know somehow, somewhere within his mind...his memories are fraudulent.

Being unable to remember these labs. Even just moments after stepping out of the elevator. What had the cultists done to him? What had his uncle done to him?

Why does his uncle seem to hate him so much?

…

Perhaps it isn't hate at all. It could be a feeling I cannot recognize or comprehend.

Revenge.

How does it feel to want to take revenge on someone? Are you filled with hatred, with passion? When Haiji took everything out on Kozaki, was it because he hated him, or because he loved his brother so much so to protest this new life he had?

Protest? Abusing a child is hardly a protest. It's a horrific thing to do.

And again, with Fraize. What was he thinking when he killed Mei? Did he hate her, or did he love Kozaki that much to kill her?

I think I know.

But that does not mean I understand the feeling.

And I hardly think I understand Haiji Daisuke at all.

Kozaki's uncle Haiji adored Tetsuya. This is what I know from reading this.

Then was it because he loved Tetsuya, or because he hated Lauren? Because he hated Kozaki?

I closed my eyes to ponder. Besides his last name and his Japanese blood, there's nothing _Daisuke_ about him. His eyes, his hair, his freckles, his heart, his mind...he was a child of Lauren, not a child of Tetsuya.

Maybe this is why Haiji hated Kozaki.

Hated him enough to abuse him. Hated him enough to put him in a killing game. Hated him enough to experiment on.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized...Kozaki may have been doomed the moment he was born. And it wouldn't matter if he was Kozaki or Kanna or Kairi or Ken or any other name or any other child of his parents.

For being the child of Tetsuya and Lauren, he was doomed to suffer by his uncle's spite - his jealousy - his hatred.

I looked away, sighing. The only thing I could feel from reading this was sadness.

It's no wonder you are who you are. Why you trip and fall and struggle to get up again without help. Why you feel like you'll never be enough. Why you feel like we won't accept you.

All this time, you made it to be because of your talent and your history. Because you were an arsonist, you were less than us.

I never saw you like that.

I see now, Kozaki. I think I finally understand. Maybe you do, too.

Then I must come to you and speak about this book.

This book…Why was this book so conveniently placed for me to find? It's as if...someone wanted me to find it.

"He-he-he."

I turned around slowly, coming face to face with Monobotto.

"Hello-Riko-Hamoizumi." Monobotto teased me. "Enjoying-your-history-lesson?"

I frowned while closing the book shut. "You wanted me to read this, didn't you?"

"I-did-?" The robot tilted its head to the side. "What-in-space-gave-you-that-idea-?"

"I have a hunch." I looked away as I kept a hand over the cover of the book. My fingertips just slightly rolled over the edge of the leather cover. Such a fancy book, but why?

"Have-you-finished-reading-it-?" Monobotto asked me, intrigued.

I shook my head. "I have not. I only read what I needed to read: The story of Haiji Daisuke."

"And-that-is-all-?" Monobotto rolled its body back and forth. "You-do-not-want-to-know-more-?"

I pulled the book towards me in a cautious manner. "Not without Kozaki's permission, no. I will not invade his life like that."

"But-you-have-already-read-part-of-it." Monobotto stopped rolling.

"I think Kozaki would want any information about his uncle to be known." I nodded, firmly. "Because we have to stop him and whatever his plans are for us."

Monobotto seemed to be indifferent to it. "I-see."

I then held the book tightly in my hands as I investigated the robot. "Why are you here?"

Monobotto looked at me with its cold, lifeless glassy eyes. "The-beginning-of-the-end-is-near. Do-you-have-the-potential-to-become-an-elite-?"

"An elite…?" My hands gripped the book tightly.

"As-of-now," Monobotto hummed, "I-think-you-have-an-uncertain-future."

I stood up rather quickly, disinterested in giving the bucket of bolts any more of my time. "In short, you have come to screw with me."

Monobotto seemed as though it was flashing a sly grin. "Screwing-with-you-clowns-is-an-enjoyable-pastime-of-mine."

I sighed, turning my back to the robot and leaving the classroom.

Though, I believe that was exactly what Monobotto wanted me to do. When I entered the hall, I could hear a conversation of some kind. Or, perhaps it was...a confrontation.

"Why won't you let me do this for you?"

Ah? That voice...it's Tobi. He's not referring to himself in the third person now. In fact...he sounds very serious.

"No response? Come on, you can't just leave me hanging like this. Everyone is waiting for you, didn't you know?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

That other voice...it's Kozaki.

"You're the star of the show, don't tell me you didn't know!" Tobi exclaimed in a mocking sort of manner. "Protagonist, Kozaki Daisuke, that's you! Though, I have to say...you sure don't act that way. In fact, I would even say-"

"Just leave me alone." Kozaki cut him off. "Stop stalking me, damn it...I don't know what you want from me."

"I want you. Isn't that conspicuous enough?"

I quickly opened the door before anything more could happen. Kozaki was standing with his back pressed against the wall, the alleged lab assistant leaning forward and whispering something I couldn't hear.

"Oh, do we have a guest?" Tobi smiled as he turned to look at me. "Why, it's pretty bird. What are you doing here?"

I frowned slightly in return. "I could ask you the same question."

"Oh?" Tobi shrugged, casually. "I'm just...settling some business with Number One. See, I need to take him back with me to the lab. Everyone's waiting."

"Like hell I'll let you just take me wherever you want." Kozaki muttered, looking away. It looked like he was trying to find a chance to slip away.

"Don't be like that…" Tobi turned back to the former arsonist with a sly smile. "Come now, there are people waiting for you. It's been too long since you've had your...medication."

"Get away from me!" Kozaki attempted to slip to the left.

Tobi grabbed him by the collar and shoved him into the wall. "Now I see why your uncle was so mad. This really is all a game to you, isn't it? You're wasting everyone's time."

Kozaki shut his eyes and shook his head.

"Look at you…" Tobi caressed Kozaki's cheek. "It's so sad, honestly. Why? Why won't you? Why are you ruining everything we all worked so hard for?"

"That's enough!" I pointed to Tobi. "You will leave him alone, or else I…"

"Or else you…?" Tobi turned to look back to me, amused.

"I…" I frowned. "I will put a stop to this by my own hands!"

Tobi didn't react at first. He then bursted into laughter and looked back to Kozaki. "Did you hear that, Number One? Pretty bird is going to stop me. Oh, how I chortle...isn't it funny?"

Kozaki shut his eyes and looked away.

"Aw, how sad. Pretty bird doesn't exist to you anymore, does she?" Tobi then began to stroke Kozaki's hair, provocatively. "Your flesh bag bodyguard is dead because of her, after all."

I wanted to shout out that Tobi was wrong, that he was lying. I wanted to defend myself, I wanted to regain Kozaki's trust in me.

But I couldn't, because Tobi is not wrong. Fraize is dead because of me, and all this time I've tried to protect Kozaki...I've failed.

I'm nothing more than a silly, silly, useless little girl.

…

"Come on, come on already." Tobi leaned in extremely close to Kozaki's face. He then whispered, "Let's go already."

…

No.

No, I won't allow it!

Reacting quickly, I rushed forward with the book in my hands and slammed it into Tobi with all of my strength. This caused the alleged lab assistant to look over to me in a daze.

I hit him again.

 _I hit him again._

Hit him again.

 _Hit him again._

Again.

 _Again._

 _ **Again.**_

"S-Stop!"

I paused just before I was going to slam the book into Tobi's head one more time. I then looked over to see the owner of the voice that called for me to stop.

Kozaki stepped back, away from me. He seemed to be horrified.

I…I didn't...

Kozaki was tearing up now. He didn't say anything at all, only covering his face and sinking to the floor.

I lowered the book as I approached the former arsonist, completely ignoring Tobi lying on the floor. I knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kozaki…"

He uncovered his face and looked at me, still not saying anything. His eyes were full of fear, as though he were looking at someone...who would attack him next.

"Let's...get you back to your room…" I helped him to stand up.

He still didn't say anything to me. In fact, he didn't say a single word as I walked with him past Tobi's unconscious body. Nor did he say anything as we walked down the hall and up the stairs.

"I'm- I'm sorry." I whispered, half hoping he wouldn't hear me. "I'm so, so, so sorry…"

I felt like no matter how many times I said sorry, it wouldn't matter. That no matter how many times I said sorry, nobody would ever forgive me - not even myself.

My apologies were cut off when I felt Kozaki wrap his arms around me, pulling me close. I looked up to him, surprised.

"Please, don't do that again...don't protect me." He squeezed me lightly. "I already lost someone precious to me because of this. I don't want to lose you, too…"

I slowly returned the embrace, resting my head in the crook of his neck. I sniffled and sputtered until I just couldn't hold it in any longer and cried.

I finally understood what it was that Tobi had mouthed to be back in Fraize's room. I finally realized it all, how foolish I had been.

 _ **You're turning into Ramón.**_

* * *

~Chapter Six, Daily Life Two, End~


	36. His Life, Their Pawn Daily Life 3

I woke up with an awful headache. My heart felt heavy, and my throat felt like it was closing in on me. I could feel my own heart beat, my head pulsing along and my neck only continuing to throb.

My eyes just wanted to close again. I had no will to get out of bed. Even when all was said and done and forgiven, I could not let it go. It was still lingering in my mind, keeping me paralyzed.

Kozaki brought me back to my room last night. He left the book I was carrying on the bed stand next to me, and he left my hat to rest on top of it. I remember he told me to get some rest, he told me not to worry anymore.

But of course, I continue to worry.

I finally stopped fighting against my body and allowed my eyes to close. When they opened again, I was back home in my bed in my warm and loving home in Romania. The soft blanket gently covering me, the firm but cushioning pillow beneath my head, the bed mattress being pressed down lightly from my own weight. The soft white walls with windows hidden behind brown curtains, the sun's light from outside glowing from behind. The ceiling with a lamp in the shape of the sun, the floor with a carpet that was green as cool grass. My desk set right against the corner with all my music sheets neatly stacked on top. My hat resting on my wooden chair, the rest of my clothes tucked away behind my wooden closet doors.

But when I really opened my eyes, I wasn't there at all. It was all a memory now. A memory I feared would fade.

Just look where I am now. Actually, I still cannot comprehend where this place is. Even when I can see it, I cannot bring myself to believe it.

I remember how my brother would burst into my room and jump onto my bed to wake me up in the morning. I could only wonder how he was doing now.

 _Knock knock_.

I slowly sat up in my bed, letting out a sigh before slipping out. I hadn't even bothered to change into my pajamas last night, leaving my outfit to become all wrinkled.

Walking over to the door, I opened it to find Mikanne.

"Good morning." He nodded to me. "Hope I'm not bothering you, am I?"

I shook my head as I covered my mouth to yawn. "No, no...I just woke up."

Mikanne worriedly looked to the side. "I have some news for you."

I looked up, trying to be more attentive. "Yes?"

"Tobi's on the loose." Mikanne looked back to me as he crossed his arms. "And strangely enough, he doesn't seem to be putting any effort into retreating to the labs or wherever he came from. Zraiko and I are about to go hunting for him."

I nodded slowly, wondering what this could mean. Well, I suppose I did already know what it meant. Tobi wasn't going anywhere without Kozaki. This was his ultimatum.

"Not only that." Mikanne felt his left wrist. "Monobotto seems to be rather...perturbed over this whole matter. Zraiko told me he spotted the bucket of bolts heading into the auditorium. I would advise you to avoid going in that area for a while."

I nodded again, thinking about what Monobotto could be doing there. Is it really perturbed over Tobi being here? Had the alleged lab assistant sealed himself in that place? Are they going to have a fight?

"Is that everything?" I held my hands together.

Mikanne smiled back at me. "Yeah, that's about it for now. If anything more comes up, I'll send you a message."

"Thank you." I smiled in return.

I watched as Mikanne walked back down the Grand Staircase before I closed the door, then sighing as I turned around and leaned against it. I completely forgot about Tobi last night. I was so infatuated over protecting Kozaki, everything else slipped my mind.

 _You're turning into Ramón._

No, I am not. I am not throwing myself into danger for Kozaki's sake. I am not attacking anyone to protect him.

Last night was...just spur of the moment. It won't happen again. I am not going to resort to violence ever again.

...

I was left to sit alone for a while. I wasn't really sure what to do next. Part of me wanted to go back to bed. Not even to change into my pajamas properly. Just to land back onto the mattress and pull the blanket over me and close my eyes. However, now that I was finally up, I felt like I couldn't go back to bed.

So, what now?

Well, I figured that Kozaki may be available to talk to about yesterday. After all, I wanted to speak about the book Monobotto planted for me to find. However, when I knocked on the door to Fraize's room, there wasn't a response. The door was unlocked, so I decided to quietly open it to check if Kozaki was inside.

He wasn't there.

Stepping into Fraize's room, I took a look around to find it clean. It was as though the events with Kozaki over the past few days never happened at all. The papers in the trash were gone, the bed was made with clean sheets and blankets, all of the disarray was sorted out.

I decided to take a seat in the chair by the desk, just to understand how it felt like to be in this room. There was something about it that felt different than mine. A presence. It truly felt like Fraize was still here. The bed, the shelf, the desk, the closet, it was still his. Even though Kozaki was now occupying the room, this place was still undoubtedly Fraize's.

That actually got me a bit curious. I slowly stood up from the chair and walked over to the closet, opening it up slowly. On one half of the rack, Kozaki's old clothes and their duplicates were hung. On the other half of the rack were Fraize's clothes and their own duplicates.

I picked up a hanger and examined the clothes, touching the fabric gently. I walked over to the bed and gently set down the hanger, taking his brown vest off of it in order to hold it for a while.

Closing my eyes, I then decided to take off my poncho and put the vest on over my orange shirt. I stepped back and did a light twirl, wanting to see how it would feel like to wear it. It was too big, understandably.

Wearing the vest...it made me feel closer to him. It made me feel like I could see things like him, like he was letting me in on his secrets. Well...he really did seem to have a lot of secrets. On the inside of his vest were tons of little pockets and slots for what I presume to be for weapons of some kind.

Super-Highschool-Level Tour Guide.

Super-Highschool-Level Mafioso.

Which one of these talents was his? One or the other, both or neither?

The more I thought about it, the more I came to believe he really did have two talents. He never once seemed like he was lying to himself or to us about being a tour guide. Even if his memories were manipulated, I still believe he could have been one. After all, how can we believe everything Monobotto tells us?

Fraize never left the mafia? He was always stuck this whole time to protect his family?

Frankly, I do not believe it. The truth is out there, and I'm going to find it. I'm going to get Fraize his truth so he can finally have solace in himself.

Taking the vest off, I prepared to place it back onto the hanger. It was then when I noticed...the back of the inside of the vest had a symbol stitched into it.

A symbol that looked _exactly like the one on Kozaki's hoodie_.

Tobi also has a similar symbol on his clothing, on a necklace he was wearing.

…Everything in this place, it's connected. There's no way this is a coincidence.

But what does it mean, then? Fraize and Kozaki share _the exact same symbol._ However, Tobi's is slightly different. What could this mean?

I wish I could understand what all of this means.

Slowly, I placed the clothes back into the closet. I then headed out of the room with a sigh to go to take a nice hot shower.

I always did feel like I could clear my head whenever I would take a shower. I gently scrubbed my hair as I closed my eyes to let out a sigh. What should I do now?

I have a few options I can take.

One, I find Tobi and try to learn more about Fraize.

Two, I find Monobotto to get answers about the importance behind Erito Hajimoto, about Haiji Daisuke.

Three, I find Kozaki to talk about the book.

Four, I do all of the above.

I have decided on taking option number four. Although everyone seems to have growing concerns with me getting involved with Tobi, I have to press forward. I need to find out, first and foremost, what's really going on with the cult and who Fraize really is.

Kozaki asked me to stop protecting him. But, he never asked me to stop pursuing the truth.

Stepping out of the shower, I stretched my arms for a quick moment before nodding to myself.

Let's get the day started.

* * *

Before leaving to find Tobi, I made a quick stop to my room to tuck the book away onto my person. It would be best to keep it with me so that it can't be swiped while I'm away. Not to mention, maybe I'll be able to find some answers.

It took me quite some time to find any trace of the alleged lab assistant. I had to make sure none of my friends knew I was looking for him, as I knew they would discourage me. I checked the shift-rooms, the kitchen, the dining room, the puzzle room, even the library. Though, it was still greatly damaged due to the events that unfolded from the previous case. I couldn't stay for too long before the bad memories echoed in the back of my mind, ushering me out of the room.

As I walked through the back hall past the garden towards the compass, there was something else that came to mind that may still be damaged from the last trial.

That place being the auditorium.

Didn't Mikanne mention Monobotto being around there?

Checking to make sure nobody else was nearby, I slowly walked over to the auditorium doors before pausing at the sound of two voices.

"You-fool-! You-absolute-clown-!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Insult me all you want you metal hunk of nuts and bolts."

Those voices. That's Monobotto and Tobi.

"What-do-you-think-you-are-doing-? You-know-that-you-are-putting-the-entire-project-in-danger-enough-already!"

"Oh, I know."

"Well-then-don't-do-that-! Master-Erito-will-"

"Master Erito will know exactly why I did it, and he will thank me for it. Leave me be, you damn machine. If it weren't for the fact Erito invented you, I'd have kicked you ten kilometers into space."

Master Erito invented Monobotto…

"You-insufferable-fool-! You-will-ruin-everything-!"

"We'll let Master Erito be the judge of that."

With that, Monobotto grumbled and stormed out of the room, zipping right past me. I then turned to look at Tobi, who waved with a grin.

"Hey, pretty bird. You did a real number on my head yesterday." He rubbed it, grinning. "Didn't think you had it in you."

I frowned, taking off my fedora and hugging it tightly. I was in no mood to speak casually with the alleged lab assistant. "What is going on?"

"Oh, well...this place is undergoing some construction." Tobi shrugged. "You know, flesh bag bodyguard's execution didn't go right."

It didn't go right?

Well, when I thought about it, it made sense. The stage was collapsing, and not even Monobotto seemed to have control of the situation.

"Until the hole gets patched up…" Tobi leaned against the doorframe. "The room's staff only. So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

I shook my head. "I will tell Zraiko and Mikanne you are here."

Tobi shrugged. "So?"

"So you will no longer be a danger to Kozaki." I nodded, confidently.

Tobi chuckled in response. "Pretty bird, I'm not a danger to Number One at all."

"His name is Kozaki." I leaned in. "And frankly, I do not believe you."

Tobi rolled his eyes. "He is Master Erito's experiment." He then cooly rolled his shoulders. "I'm just bringing him back to the lab."

There he goes again, saying he's the delivery boy or whatever. To be honest, I'm starting to wonder if he even believes himself. Or...does he have an ulterior motive?

"Which is exactly why you are dangerous." I firmly placed my hat back atop my head. "Kozaki can't even remember what happened to him in the lab. But the first thing he did when he stepped out of the elevator was call for help. Whatever you are doing to him, I will no longer allow it."

 _"You_ will not allow it?" The alleged lab assistant raised an eyebrow.

I held my hands together. "Indeed. I was asked by Fraize to look after Kozaki."

"Alright then, miss pretty bird." Tobi smiled. "Do it. Go get your friends. I'll be right here, waiting for them."

I closed my eyes and huffed while turning around and beginning to walk the other way. Just when Tobi thought I would leave, I whirred around and sprinted towards the auditorium.

"W-Wah!" Tobi quickly moved out of the way to avoid getting tackled.

I continued to run past him. I dashed down the aisle and leaped onto the stage, looking around with my own eyes at the scene.

…

The rubble was almost completely cleared out by now. In its place before me was a large, gaping hole in the floor. One that looked like it reached down into a void - a point of no return.

Or, so it seems.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Tobi struggled to climb into the stage. I could hear him grumble as he hopped up and down before finally clawing his way up. "I told you, you're not allowed here."

"Why?" I frowned, turning to the alleged lab assistant. "Is it because you are hiding something? Because you are hiding this?" I pointed to the hole.

Tobi glanced to the hole before shrugging. "Well, it would be pretty hard to hide a hole this big."

"...A hole in the floor, the execution falling apart, and his body wasn't ever recovered…" I glared at Tobi. "You know what happened to Fraize, and you're hiding it from us."

"Nya?" Tobi waved his hands in front of him. "Tobi doesn't know anything about-"

"Drop the act." I stepped closer to Tobi. "Or I'll drop you down that hole."

Tobi nervously stepped back. "Now now, don't be rash pretty bird. You'll become the blackened for that."

"You're not even in this killing game with us." I squinted my eyes. "You're just an interloper who overstayed his welcome."

" _Welllll_ , if you want to be technical about it…" Tobi smiled. "I have a talent, just like you. Every high member from Faceless has one."

"Faceless...is that your cult?" I held my hands together.

"Cult?" Tobi placed his hands to his hips. "It's an _organization_ , thank you very much."

"Whatever it is." I tilted my head. "What makes you say you're technically in the game?"

Tobi stepped back again and bowed. "My name is Tobi, though I won't be telling you my last name. If you'd like, you could think of me as Tobi Hajimoto." He stood upright and smiled. "I am the Elite-Level Lab Assistant. Pleasure to meet you."

Elite-Level...this isn't the first time I've heard this talk of elites before.

"What does that mean, elite?" I asked, curiously.

"It means I have surpassed the rank of Super-Highschool-Level." Tobi pointed to me. "A superior among ultimate students, if you will."

"A superior…" I didn't really believe that for one second.

"And who are you, pretty bird?" Tobi asked, smiling in an oddly benevolent manner.

I took a quick breath. "My name is Riko Hamoizumi. I am...a clarinetist."

Tobi tilted his head. "No Super-Highschool-Level anything?"

"No." I shut my eyes. "I do not believe my abilities are anything to be regarded as superior to any other clarinetist."

"Huh." Tobi simply crossed his arms. "You do confuse me, Madame Riko."

Ah...he has stopped referring to me as a pretty bird.

"So tell me." Tobi hopped off the stage and strolled up the aisle for a moment before pausing and turning around. "What are you looking for?"

I carefully climbed off the stage and walked over to Tobi, taking my time to answer. "The truth. I want to know who Fraize is."

"Who he _is,_ you say?" Tobi seemed to be rather interested in my response. "You are using the present tense."

"That I am." I nodded. "So please, there has to be more to know. Something that's missing."

Tobi shrugged. "I don't have anything to tell you, Madame Riko."

"Just call me Riko." I sighed, holding my hands together. "And...are you being truthful with me now?"

He paused. "...I can't tell you."

"Ah?" That caught me by surprise. "Why not?"

He shook his head and continued to walk forwards, towards the exit. "You'll find out the truth in due time. But for now it's too soon."

I wasn't satisfied by that response. "Are you looking for an excuse not to tell me?"

Tobi then stopped before turning back to me. He walked at a rather quick pace up to me in order to whisper into my ear. _"You have to believe me."_

I watched as Tobi then stepped away and resumed his walk towards the exit. He then lifted his hands up and spoke in a cheerful manner. "Hey, hey. Just the two guys I was hoping to see. Mikanne and Zraiko, you two kept me waiting!"

I don't know what came over me, but my instinct was to duck in-between the row of chairs and hide.

It wasn't until after the three of them left before I slowly moved out of hiding and looked around.

Tobi couldn't tell me the truth. Now I have to believe him. Why?

Perhaps because there is no choice.

I took a quick look back to the stage.

Kozaki needs to see this.

* * *

I backtracked along my journey to find Tobi with a new quest to find Kozaki. Though, it didn't take me as long to find him. Slowly opening the door to the garden, I looked to find him sitting down by the graves. I quietly shut the door behind me as I walked over to sit beside him.

"...Good morning." Kozaki turned to look at me, smiling lightly. "Are you feeling alright?"

I turned to look at him, feeling surprised. "Ah? Yes, I am fine...but what about you?"

Kozaki looked back to the graves, sighing lightly. "Still alive."

"Indeed." I looked over to the graves. "...Kozaki, there is something I need to share with you."

"Hmm?" He looked back to me, tilting his head lightly.

"I found Tobi in the auditorium speaking with Monobotto about something." I closed my eyes to recall the event. "The stage, it had a massive hole in it."

"A hole?" He blinked, curiously. "Does it...lead to some place?"

I shook my head, sighing. "I am sorry, but...it appears to lead to nothing but an endless void."

Kozaki fell silent for a moment. He closed his eyes and appeared to be thinking deeply about something.

"Do you believe there was some kind of trick?" I asked him, holding my hands together. "That there's something more that we missed?"

"...Then you feel the same, don't you?" Kozaki looked over to me. "About him."

I turned to look at Kozaki. "About Fraize?"

Kozaki nodded. "You don't believe it either, do you?"

I looked back to the grave and closed my eyes. "No. I do not."

The former arsonist smiled. "I think he's out there, somewhere." He then turned to the grave and sighed. "I spent so long feeling despair...I stopped thinking logically. Well, maybe this whole time I've never thought logically about anything at all." He then chuckled. "That's more of Zraiko's way of thinking, but even he doesn't seem to realize the possibility."

I turned to look back to Kozaki. "If Fraize is alive, where is he now?"

Kozaki closed his eyes. "...Remember what my uncle said?"

"That he hates to have talent wasted, and that he recognized Fraize as an incredible individual." I held my hands together. "You don't think your uncle has him, do you?"

He let out a sigh. "I don't even know if it's true. Maybe I'm being too hopeful. But...until I've seen his body for myself, I'll keep believing that he's somewhere alive. And if I'm wrong, if I'm just being delusional and heartbroken and unable to move on...I guess I'll have to prepare myself for that."

"How are we going to find Fraize?" I tilted my head, lightly. "To even get to the lab…"

"We'll need Tobi." Kozaki felt his right arm. "But the problem is...that fucker has screws loose. I think he has his own agenda, rather than being aligned with the cult."

I don't think Tobi would ever help us anyway knowing we were searching for Fraize. The alleged lab assistant made it clear he hates him.

"Riko...I need you to come with me to my room." Kozaki stood up. "There's something I need to show you."

I stood up as well, nodding. "Alright. I will come with you."

We walked together back around the Compass to the dormitory area. It might have been the long way, but it would be better than walking through the library. We passed by Kyohi and Weise on the way, and the two of them smiled upon seeing Kozaki back on his feet, filled with a determination they were unaware of.

As we entered Kozaki's room, I looked around to see it wasn't as dusty as I had imagined. I mean, it still had the feeling like it had not been occupied in quite some time, but there certainly wasn't a blanket of dust covering over everything.

Kozaki sat down on his bed, patting a space for me to join him. As I took a seat, he spoke up. "I feel like a bit of an idiot now. The thing I wanted to show you, well...Zraiko threw it in the trash. So, I can try to explain it to you instead…"

"Ah, the papers?" I took out my Bottolet. "I knew I was right to take pictures of these."

Kozaki watched as I swiped through all the pictures of the papers he had written. He smiled. "You've saved me again, Riko."

I smiled for a moment before switching back to a 'let's get down to business' expression. "These papers, what are they?"

"I wrote them, all of them." He explained, feeling his head. "It might sound weird, but...could I borrow your tablet for a moment?"

I nodded as I passed him the Bottolet.

Kozaki placed all the pictures onto a blank canvas app. From there, he started to move them around as though he were working to solve a puzzle.

"It probably looks like something out of a science fiction movie." Kozaki continued to swipe the pictures around.

"I get the feeling that you are going to explain why these are very real and a large concern." I folded my hands onto my lap.

I watched as Kozaki worked to finish lining the pictures up. "I don't know why or how…" He explained as he swiped again at my tablet in a focused manner. "But I feel like at times I'm losing myself. And whenever I felt that way while I was alone in Fraize's room, which was pretty often, I would get out some scrap paper and write. And this...this is what I ended up with."

Watching as Kozaki pulled his hand away, my eyes grew wide. What was left behind on my tablet's screen was some sort of blueprint.

Blueprints for something I couldn't even begin to understand. A machine of some kind? There was a table, some place for lights, some sort of x-ray, and so many other components that I couldn't name at all.

"Riko, it feels like everything is locked inside of me." Kozaki turned to me. "This truth, whatever it is. Deep down inside me, it has to be there."

"Then how do you plan on finding this truth?" I asked him, still examining the blueprints.

Kozaki stood up as he sighed. "I'm going to the lab. I have to. I'll let Tobi bring me there. And...it might be best to go it alone."

I was quick to reject the idea. "You cannot. It is too dangerous. If you go, then I am coming with you."

Kozaki looked to the side. "That's something Fraize would say."

I shook my head. "That's something I will do."

Kozaki turned back to me. "Riko…"

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Remember, we were partners when we first woke up here. We need to stick together, to help each other out of a pinch. While all I have to offer talentwise is the ability to make music, I still will give you my complete support."

Kozaki grew quiet.

"Please." I held my hands together. "I might not be skilled with a weapon. I might not be strong or fast. I might not be witty. But...I know that I want to find the truth. I know that I want to end this game. With you, Kozaki. As your friend...please allow me to come."

He let out a soft sigh before nodding. "Okay, but you have to promise me something."

"What is it?" I asked, worriedly.

He looked me in the eyes. "Don't protect me. Stand with me by my side, not in front of me like a shield. Alright?"

I slowly nodded. "Alright."

He then looked ready to leave. "We should eat before we go. Maybe I can try to make...something. I'm still not very good at cooking, but I feel like I owe you because you're always cooking nowadays. I never even touched your salad because of my piss-poor attitude...I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "No, no. It is alright. You were - you are grieving."

He then cracked a smile. "If we find Fraize, and he's alright, then I won't have anything to grieve about."

Before he could stand up, I quickly took his hand. "One moment, please."

He slowly turned back to me before sitting again. "What is it, Riko?"

"I need to talk to you about this book." I showed Kozaki the book on the Daisuke family, worriedly. "Monobotto left it for me to find in the North Classroom."

Kozaki slowly took the book. He seemed to be studying the book as though it were a photo album with his family's memories recorded inside. "That robot left it there, huh…" He then opened up the cover to see the front page. "Who even wrote this book?"

"I do not know." I shook my head. "Though I currently suspect it to be a member of the cult, perhaps even your uncle."

The former arsonist nodded in response. "I don't know how anyone else would be able to write this if they weren't in my family."

"...I am sorry." I bowed my head, hugging my fedora. "I read this book. Only the material about your uncle, but...I never had any intention of invading your personal life."

Quietly looking at me, Kozaki patted me on the shoulder. "It's alright. We're in a pretty fucked up situation right now. We need all the answers we can get."

I watched as Kozaki began to flip through many pages. "Is there anything here that you find important?"

He skimmed over a few pages before sighing. "I mean...this is all stuff I already know. Well…" He looked away. "Or rather, stuff I've been told."

"Stuff you've been told?" I tilted my head lightly to the side.

"Mikanne...told me about my childhood yesterday." He felt at his head. "About what he says really happened. I can't remember any of it, but...I think by this point I would be an idiot to trust in my own memories. I keep blanking out what happens in the lab...it's so frustrating." He looked at me. "I swear, the answers...they have to be there. In the lab, in my memories, whatever. I should have them, but I don't."

I nodded, slowly.

"Riko, may I hold onto the book for you?" Kozaki asked, looking to the side. "Since it's...about my family and all."

I nodded again. "Yes, of course. It only makes sense."

Kozaki smiled and put the book away, tucked under his bed's pillow. "I think that settles it, then. Now, let's really go and eat. I'm hungry."

I giggled gently in response. "Alright. Let's go eat."

We headed into the kitchen to find Kyohi making himself a salad. He smiled and waved to the two of us. "Heya, guys. Everything going okay today?"

I nodded, holding my hands together. "Yes. We were just stopping in for a moment."

Kozaki walked over to the fridge and opened it up. He then hummed as he closed it, then checking the pantries. He closed the pantries without taking anything from them, then returning to the fridge to open it again. He closed it again, glanced to the side, then opened it yet again. He then let out a sigh as he closed the fridge for the final time. "There's nothing to eat."

I walked over to the fridge and opened it for myself. The fridge's shelves were all filled with wonderfully fresh ingredients waiting to be cooked. Juicy tomatoes, fatty strips of bacon, cool blueberries, and so much more. "What do you mean? The fridge is filled, Kozaki."

"Yeah, but…" He crossed his arms. "There's nothing I can just grab and take with me."

I slowly took out the blueberries, along with some milk and eggs. "Well, perhaps you should take a seat then while I make us some food."

Kyohi let out a short giggle as he took his salad out of the kitchen as he left. I presume he was going to spend his free time elsewhere. With Weise, possibly?

Kozaki sat down on the kitchen table, crossing his arms and awkwardly swinging his legs. "Okay…"

I then went into the pantry to get out some flour and sugar. It was time to make some blueberry crepes. Mixing up the batter in a bowl and getting out a pan, I turned on the gas and watched as the flame flickered to life. Then, I cut a slab of butter and watched as it began to slide across the pan. After the butter bubbled, I poured in some of the batter and began to wait for it to cook.

Kozaki looked over upon hearing the sound of the sizzling pancake. He stood up and walked over to examine it, as though he were a curious child watching his mother cook breakfast for him.

"It smells good." He smiled, glancing at me for a moment.

"Ah, thank you." I turned to him, returning the smile. "I think I've gotten a good amount of practice after making all those crepes with Weise."

"Hehe, yeah…" He then focused on the pancake.

I tilted my head lightly, noticing how his behavior suddenly changed. He seemed to be...not mentally present.

Kozaki's eyes were fixed on the flames of the stove. I could hear him whisper something to himself, but I couldn't quite make out what it was.

 _Burn, burn, burn…_

I double-checked to make sure I didn't have the heat turned up too high. Burn...are the crepes burning?

No, they're just fine. I know what a burned crepe is. I've already burned countless ones before.

 _Burn, burn, burn…I have to burn. I need to burn._

I turned back to Kozaki. "Do not worry, Kozaki. I am certain the crepes are not going to burn."

He moved right past me to the stove, his hands were shaking. The shaking became more violent as he started to reach for the gas switch

…

I quickly ran to the sink in order to fill up a cup of water before rushing back to Kozaki to splash his head with it.

He jerked away from the stove in surprise. "H-Huh?!"

I smiled lightly before lowering the cup. "Leave the cooking to me, Kozaki."

He looked around in a daze before stepping away from the stove. "R-Right, sorry."

I glanced back over to the fire for a moment. "Do you - Does the sight of fire…?"

Kozaki didn't seem to understand me at first before blinking and waving his hands. "O-Oh, no. It's alright. It's - I've always been like this."

Turning back to him, I gently placed a hand onto his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"

Lamentively, he shook his head. "I don't think this will ever leave me."

"Kozaki…" I gulped, worriedly. "You can't just keep this inside of you.

He sighed and looked down. "I've been doing it for nine years, Riko."

"That doesn't make it any better." I shook my head, lightly. "You don't have to deal with your burdens alone."

He then looked up, then shaking his head with a solemn facial expression. "Now isn't the time. We have more important things to worry about."

I wasn't satisfied with that response, but it seemed like at the moment there was no getting through to him.

We ate our crepes in silence. I then took the plates and washed them up before turning back to Kozaki. With a firm nod, he headed out of the kitchen. Holding my hands as well as my words, I trailed behind him.

* * *

As we stepped into the auditorium, I could feel the atmosphere growing tenser and colder. This was a place of death - of despair.

"Now then…" Kozaki slowly walked down the aisle.

I slowly trailed behind him. "Any ideas on where to look?"

Kozaki climbed onto the stage while looking around. "No, no clue…"

I glanced to the side, half expecting Monobotto to pop out and demand us to leave. But, that didn't seem like it would happen. Strangely enough, it felt as though we were _allowed_ to see this place.

"I...to be honest...I don't want to remember what happened." Kozaki shook his head. "I don't want to remember watching what happened to him."

I closed my eyes, letting out a soft sigh. The entire memory must have been extremely traumatic for Kozaki. To witness your lover suffer, unable to do anything except to watch from a distance…

I would never want to experience that sort of feeling.

"This hole…" Kozaki peered down into it. "It looks so deep...how could he have survived the fall?"

"Hmm...I do have one idea." I nodded. "Some of the stages I have performed on had _elevators_ underneath. Perhaps, during the collapse of the debris, he may have been pulled in by something or someone and brought down to…"

"To those labs." Kozaki nodded. "Yeah, my uncle said he hates wasted talent. Fraize was seriously hurt. They'd have to treat him right away."

I calmly looked down the hole. "Though it does not currently appear that an elevator is here...there might be signs that there was one here before. Such as a shaft."

Kozaki sat down on the ground with his arms crossed. "Seems like a damn hole to me."

I continued to examine the hole. "Though, there are cables of some kind…"

Kozaki looked back at me. "So did he fucking swing down the cables like some kind of jungle man? How could an elevator just vanish, in a few days no less?"

"How could an elevator vanish indeed…" I tilted my head in thought. "Or perhaps it never left at all. Did you know, on the ground floor for most elevators, there is a place to put in a key? It summons the elevator and keeps it on that floor. They could be doing that while repairing this stage."

"Maybe, maybe…" Kozaki layed down. "Looks like we can't take this elevator down, but...what about the one at the Compass?"

"Ah?" I sat beside him. "The one that leads to the class trial room?"

He nodded. "Maybe...it leads to other floors as well. After all, there aren't any buttons for us to push. It's being controlled by someone. And, Tobi had to get here somehow."

I paused for a moment to consider this. It's true. During the recent class trial, Kozaki came out of that elevator seemingly directly from the labs...

"So, you are thinking that we get Tobi to send us down?" I asked, trying to make sure we were at the same place discussion-wise.

"Yeah." Kozaki sat up. "If not him, well...I'm not sure how else we could get down there."

"However." I held my hands together. "Tobi is being guarded by Zraiko and Mikanne...and those two most certainly would be adamant about keeping him away from us."

Kozaki then chuckled. "Don't worry, I think I have a plan for handling that."

Ah, a plan? I wonder what it could be.

Kozaki and I then both left the auditorium, heading all the way back to the other side of the Killing Odyssey. The former arsonist nodded to me before knocking on Zraiko's Shift Room door.

The door was opened relatively quickly. Zraiko glanced at the two of us before sighing. "No, you can't see Tobi."

Kozaki calmly put his hands in his pockets. "Don't worry, we're not here to see him."

Zraiko blinked before stepping out of the room. "Really? Then why are you here?"

Kozaki glanced from me to the door back to Zraiko. "Just...checking on you and Mikanne."

"We're fine." Zraiko shrugged, indifferently.

I stepped forward. "Monobotto is looking to speak with you."

Kozaki looked back over to me, but didn't comment on it.

Zraiko didn't seem to detect my lie, possibly because of my honest reputation. "That wingnut? What the hell does it want now?"

I held my hands together. "It...has not told me. But I overheard it fuming this morning about Tobi at the auditorium. So…"

Scratching his chin, Zraiko glanced back to the door. "Hmm...I'll go see what's up, in that case." He then squinted his eyes at the two of us. "But don't try anything with Tobi while I'm gone."

We then watched as the hacker walked off, presumably to the auditorium.

Kozaki looked back at me. "Were you telling the truth?"

I nodded, calmly. "Yes. A...spin on the truth, but a truth nonetheless."

"Well, you sure are much more believable than me. I think you should handle this." He chuckled, feeling his right arm.

I smiled in return before walking into the Shift Room. Mikanne and Tobi were sitting across from each other in a detective's interrogation manner. The two of them looked over to Kozaki and I as we entered.

We were greeted with...silence.

"H-Hey." Kozaki waved with an awkward smile. "How's the uh...interrogation?"

Mikanne sighed and crossed his arms. "You cannot speak with Tobi."

"I-I didn't say that was why we were here." Kozaki shook his head.

"Okay…" Mikanne calmly tilted his head. "Why are you here?"

Kozaki sheepishly smiled and glanced in my direction. A look that said, please help me Riko.

"We're here to speak to Tobi." I nodded, confidently. "But it's not about Fraize, and it's not about the cult either."

Mikanne sat upright and smiled. "I appreciate your honesty, Riko. But, I still can't leave you alone in the room with Tobi."

"We didn't ask you to leave the room, did we?" I held my hands together and walked over with a smile. "It'll only be a moment."

Kozaki had a dumbfounded 'what are you doing' expression on his face.

I took a seat on the floor with my legs crossed. "Hello, Tobi."

"Hello, Riko." Tobi crossed his legs and smiled.

I calmly took off my fedora. "Would you mind telling us about how the elevator works?"

"The elevator?" Mikanne looked at me. "The one that goes to the class trial?"

Kozaki then took a seat as well. "The one where I also happened to come out from."

"The elevator?" Tobi tilted his head. "Oh, well it works just like any other elevator."

"Who controls the elevator?" I asked, feeling my cheek. "Is it you?"

Tobi hummed in thought. "As long as you have an id card-"

"So you can control it." Kozaki leaned in. "Because you have an id card. Otherwise, how would you even be here now?"

Tobi quietly looked to the side. He seemed to be calculating his next response. Was he...catching onto what Kozaki and I were planning?

"You can leave whenever you want. You don't need to be rescued at all." Mikanne leaned in. "Is that what this means?"

Tobi simply shrugged. "Well, at the moment I do not want to be rescued."

"What an annoyance…" Mikanne muttered to himself before standing up. "First you say one thing, then you say another, talking to you is like walking in circles…"

"Well, they do say I'm a pretty roundabout kinda guy." The interloper grinned.

The tattoo artist groaned in annoyance before walking out. "I need a break. I'll get something to eat." He then shot a look back to the three of us. "Don't try anything. I'll go tell Kyohi to come over while I'm gone."

After Mikanne had left, Kozaki looked back to me. "That...went surprisingly better than I expected."

"It's a little trick that I learned." I giggled. "Sometimes, when you do something so unexpected in front of someone, they don't know how to react to it immediately and might miss it entirely."

"You're a smart girl." Tobi hopped out from his seat and stretched. "Alright, then. Number One wants to use the elevator to get down to the lab. Right?"

"Right." I stood up from the ground. "And I will be accompanying him."

Tobi looked at Kozaki, then at me. Then at Kozaki, then at me. Back and forth, back and forth. "Are you stupid?"

Kozaki shook his head. "No, I'm not. Send us down there, to the lab."

"Eleven isn't supposed to be down there, One…" Tobi crossed his arms. "They'll gut her alive, I'm telling you. She has no business being down there. Hell, _why_ does she even _want_ to go down there?"

I gulped, feeling a drop of sweat roll down the side of my face. Why...Why do I want to go down there? Why so stupidly get myself involved?

"That's not allowed." Kozaki insisted, brushing off the other part of Tobi's rebuttal. "Monobotto can't hurt her, so those cultists should be playing by their own rules."

"They can make up whatever rules they want." Tobi rolled his eyes. I couldn't tell if he was trying to look out for me, or if he was playing some kind of trick.

"I won't let anything happen to her." Kozaki frowned. There was this...glint in his eyes. Was it confidence?

Whatever it was, it caused Tobi to back down. "Fine, fine, fine. Let's go to the elevator. But, I won't be sending you anywhere before you tell me what you're doing. Especially her."

As we walked from the Shift Rooms towards the Compass, I began to feel incredibly nervous. Should I go through with this? Going down to the lab?

No, I cannot back out now. _I have to find the truth of this game._ I have to find Fraize, and so much more. My friends, I have to save them. I have to find the truth to end this cursed game. If going down to this lab is a risk to my life...I'll just have to be more careful.

When we got to the elevator, the alleged lab assistant turned to us. "What are you hoping for, One? You'll be captured right away to be whisked into further testing."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Kozaki asked, glaring.

"Is it? Did I say it was what I wanted?" Tobi crossed his arms, swaying his body slightly from side to side. "Maybe I changed my mind again."

Raising my hand lightly, I smiled. "I'm looking for the truth. That's all."

Tobi tilted his head. "You're looking for it?"

Kozaki stepped forwards. "I know there's something going on down there. Some machine, Fraize possibly surviving, this talk of elites...there's something bigger than the killing game going on. If you're not going to tell us what it is, we're going to find out for ourselves."

I nodded, confidently. Yes, that's right. I have to go down there. The truth is waiting for me.

Tobi then walked up to the elevator, sighing and taking out his ID card. "Have fun with that, then-"

I then dashed forward to swipe the card from Tobi's hands. "I'll be needing that."

"N-Nyah?!" Tobi tried to reach back at me to retrieve his card.

"Now it's my turn to hold an important item of yours." I huffed, holding the card firmly. "Only this time, I'll guarantee its safe return to you. So as long as you wait here upstairs with the others, that is."

Tobi grumbled. "Tobi has no reason to stay here if Number One is going."

"Tobi should've left when he fucked up and got caught here." Kozaki calmly turned to the elevator.

"But, but, but-" The interloper frowned.

Kozaki turned back to the alleged lab assistant, shooting a very sharp look. "Stay up here."

And there again, that unusual glint in Kozaki's eyes. One that Tobi was quick to notice. Grumbling, the alleged lab assistant walked away down the hall. Though, he didn't seem to be as upset as he was letting on.

I don't think I'll ever understand that lab assistant.

"...Good grief." Kozaki muttered under his breath before looking at me. "Well? Let's see if this card can get the elevator to work."

I nodded, taking the card and pressing it against the door. I honestly didn't have a clue how to use it, but I found myself with a stroke of luck. The area around the card began to glow a faint green color. It webbed out from the card all over the door as a mechanical humming echoed. When the humming came to an end, I pulled the card back and gulped as the doors opened.

"...Let's go." Kozaki stepped inside with only a moment's hesitation.

I nodded firmly as I followed behind. The doors closed, leaving me to look around for some place to control the floor level.

"Try that trick again." Kozaki looked over to the area next to the door. "Like...over there, where buttons usually go."

I followed his instructions, and once again the green lights faded in, climbing up the wall lightly to reveal a set of buttons. We were on the top floor.

And well...the top floor was the very top. There were so many levels below us, I didn't know what to choose. So, I picked a floor at random and tapped on the light. It flickered for a moment before the lights all faded and the elevator began to hum once again.

I stepped back next to Kozaki and tucked the ID card into my shoe. He looked over to me and offered his hand with a shy smile. I took it and squeezed it in return.

* * *

When the elevator doors opened, I could only feel my anxiety rise. The white-painted floors and ceilings made the atmosphere artificial and claustrophobic.

"Let's hurry." Kozaki took my hand. "I think I might know the way."

"Broken memories?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Actually, there are signs on the walls."

I then giggled lightly in embarrassment. "Ah...I see."

Hurrying down the halls, we did everything we could to stay out of sight. Though, I figured that wouldn't be very effective. Security cameras could be everywhere. Someone may already know we're here.

We journeyed through the unknown corridors, searching for any possible place where we could find answers. That machine, or even Fraize. We had to find them. We had to find the truth.

But we couldn't find anything at all. Instead, we found ourselves to be incredibly lost.

"Damn it...this place is like a maze." Kozaki muttered, looking from side to side.

I gulped, checking behind to make sure we weren't being followed. It was then when I spotted some cultists walking in our direction. It appeared as though they were not alerted to our presence.

Quietly taking Kozaki's hand, I pulled us around the corner and into a room. The room was a locker room, with a bench and a bathroom with not much else. I figured we could lock ourselves into the bathroom to hide out for a while, but...we could end up trapping ourselves inside there. In fact, we could be trapping ourselves inside _here_.

What if we could crawl by air vent?

No, the vents are secured and are too high up.

What do we do now?

Kozaki crossed his arms to think. "Could we pick the lock of these lockers and put on some cultist uniforms?

"Ah, that's a great idea." I walked over to one of the lockers, trying to find some way to open it. "...If only Zraiko was here. He would know how to pick the lock…"

Kozaki walked over beside me and tried to examine the lock. "...Shit, but we don't have anything to use to pick it."

"Then...what shall we do? If we stay here, we'll be caught for sure." I gulped.

"We keep sneaking around." Kozaki groaned, feeling his head. "It's the best chance we have…"

I gulped, looking to the side. "I hope we'll be able to find Fraize soon…"

"We will. As long as we don't give up." Kozaki turned to the door. "Ready?"

We continued to sneak around, peeking through windows of doors to see if we could find Fraize, or even just a sign from his presence.

Room to room, one to another. But there was nothing, no trace of him anywhere. I was starting to feel my heart sink, the thought that maybe Fraize was really gone inching closer to reality the longer we continued.

Our search brought us to a room that stood out more than the others. I don't remember how many flights of stairs or hallways we slipped through to arrive here. I was worried that we may not even be able to find our way back. But, there was no going back now.

The room stood out for very few reasons. It has a potted plant on the outside, and a sign on the door that read _'Office of Erito Hajimoto (H.D.)'_ printed in golden letters atop a polished wooden plank.

Stepping inside, Kozaki was quick to shut the door behind us. "Damn it, I'm starting to feel even more anxious. We've barely seen any cultists around. What the hell does it mean?"

I walked forwards into the room, looking around the shelves and desk. There was a photograph of a young man and woman together, resting on the desk nicely without a speck of dust. There were stacks of papers with data statistics for something I couldn't understand, so I decided not to mess with them.

Kozaki walked over to a bookshelf. He seemed to be in deep thought, as though he was debating with himself as to if he recognized this room or not. He then took a look at the picture on the desk. "...Uncle?"

I turned back to the photo. "This man is your uncle?"

Kozaki walked over besides me. "It looks like him from when he was younger... who's that girl he's with?"

I turned back to the former arsonist. "This woman isn't your aunt?"

He shook his head. "I've never seen her before. But...they look so happy together."

I looked back at the photo again. "Hmm…"

Kozaki slowly stood upright, then turned to look at the drawers of the desk. "There's gotta be more here."

"More?" I looked over to him.

Kozaki slowly took out a CD disk container and opened it up. "... Tsubomi."

"Tsubomi?" I kneeled down to look closer. "As in... Tsubomi Nono? From that killing game?"

Kozaki closed the disk container and looked at the back. "A note…"

I examined the back of the container closely. A note was written in red sharpie, with little hearts drawn around it.

 _Erito, I want to give this to you as a gift, though I feel like I owe you so much more. You accepted me and loved me for who I was, and didn't care about where I came from. Gosh, I know I'm a dunce for formalities, but please accept this gift. With love, Bonnie._

Bonnie. Was this her nickname?

My perspective on Kozaki's uncle was starting to shift. I had seen him as a cruel man who wanted to take revenge on his sister-in-law. Who was jealous, who wanted to cause suffering. But, I never thought about anything more of Haiji. I never thought that he himself could be suffering. If he truly loved Tsubomi…

If he _still_ loves Tsubomi…

"Well, look who it is."

Kozaki and I slowly stood up to see a man standing in the middle of the doorframe. It was him.

"Uncle…" Kozaki frowned and took a step back, setting down the CD onto the desk.

"If it isn't my dear nephew...oh, and you brought a friend." Haiji stepped towards us with a warm smile. "This is Riko, right?"

Neither of us responded.

"I'm so sorry, I don't have anything to offer you." Haiji's smile wavered and his eye twitched. "You see, you were uninvited. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

I frowned, keeping eye contact with Haiji. "And if I refuse?"

Haiji chuckled in a sickly warm manner before leaning in. "You weren't given other options, now were you?"

"Leave her alone, Uncle." Kozaki stepped forward. "I'm here now, just like you wanted."

"You always were such a difficult child…" Haiji stepped back. "You came, but now what are we going to do about your friend?"

"Nothing. You'll be doing nothing." Kozaki stepped forwards again. "In fact, I didn't just come here to lay down on a table for you. We came down here...to find someone. To find something."

I nodded with confidence.

"Oh?" Haiji scratched the back of his head. "Well, you found me."

Kozaki looked as though he were ready to fire back with a remark, but Haiji cut him off.

"Look. Enough games. You've set us all behind." Haiji stepped forwards again. "And frankly...I've lost my patience."

"You sound rather calm for someone under stress." Kozaki stepped forwards once more so he ended up behind just inches apart from his uncle. "What's the matter? Is your killing game in trouble now?"

His uncle chuckled again before grabbing Kozaki by the throat. _"What an annoying child you are, Kozaki Hotamoujou-Hiroti Daisuke!"_

"Stop it!" I hurried forwards to try and help my friend. "Let go of him!"

But Haiji ignored me. It was like I didn't even exist. I was nothing to him.

…

Well, this is what happens when people underestimate me!

Shutting my eyes, I swung my leg into Haiji's groin. It caused him to shriek and drop Kozaki, to which I quickly supported and retreated from Haiji.

"...I've had enough." Haiji stepped out of the way from the doorframe.

The room was then flooded by cultists. They all reached and grabbed at us, grabbing at Kozaki. I tried as hard as I could to protect him, but...I failed.

"R-Riko!" Kozaki reached for me, albeit it being futile.

I extended a hand back to him, but it didn't matter. There were too many cultists pulling us farther and farther apart.

"It's time you've finally had your medication, my dear nephew." Haiji calmly walked over to Kozaki. "Come on now. You've kept us waiting long enough. You need to be cleaned."

"Get the hell away from me!" Kozaki attempted to rebel and free himself.

I tried my best to escape, to help Kozaki. But the cultists were already pulling me away from the office to a location I didn't know was awaiting me. Kozaki called out my name several times before he was cut off.

Then he was silent.

The cultists spun me around to push me forwards. I was walked down a long hallway for quite some time. I squeezed my eyes shut, fearing that now I would find myself in a horrific situation alone.

I felt as though we walked for at least an hour, maybe even more. But even then, it wasn't enough time for me to answer my question. Why? Why was I here? What have I done?

We were stopping and starting again and again. Climbing down stairs and going up stairs I wondered if even the cultists knew where I was going. All the while, I was trapped in my own mind, worrying about Kozaki. Medication? Cleaning? It all sounded like part of some horrific experiment...

"Wait, wait."

The cultists stopped in their tracks.

"Sorry. I'd like to take things from here. You know how Number Eleven and I are friends. You'll allow it, won't you?"

The cultists all slowly began to disperse. Once the crowd had parted, I slowly turned around to face the person who was speaking to me.

"What a pleasure to meet you at last…" The person smiled, extending a hand to me.

I stepped back, eyes widening. "It...can't be…"

"Surprised? I would be, too." He chuckled, pulling his hand back. "There's no need for me to introduce myself, is there?"

My shock was then transformed to fear, or perhaps it was anger. "Is this a trick?"

"A trick?" He stepped forwards. "Oh no, I have no reason to trick you at all."

I found myself to be flooded with questions, with too many emotions. I couldn't believe it. "Then...it was you all along?"

"Haha, bingo! I'm so glad, honestly. Seeing your reaction, it means it worked after all!" He smiled, warmly. "That's right, Riko. I am the mastermind. Of the killing game, of the Faceless Organization, of the kingdom of the elites! It all makes sense now, doesn't it?"

I stepped away, pressing my back against the wall. I couldn't believe it - I refused to believe it at all. I wanted to shut my eyes. I felt as though everything I had believed in was mercilessly thrown out. And he was right. It was all falling into place to make sense, and it only twisted the knife more. I wanted to yell out that this was all wrong.

…

But no matter how much I wanted to...I couldn't do it.

"Come on, now. Have I gotten you speechless? Well, I guess I would also react the same if I was in your shoes."

I still couldn't manage a response.

"Well, we don't have all day. Let me escort you to your special guest room. After all...if we let you back into the game with Number One, _you'll tell everyone who I am."_

With Number One.

With Kozaki.

"Well, well, well…you were warned, weren't you? Look what happens when you find out the truth too soon. I hate to do this to a friend, really I do. But...I can't afford to let you go now. Don't worry...I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

And just like that, he had answered the question I was asking myself. Why was I here? Why did I force myself into business I clearly didn't belong in? Because of my selfish pursuit of the truth. I wasn't trying to find the truth for the others. I was trying to find it for _myself._

He extended his hand out to me once again. "Come with me, Riko. Become an Elite with me, and stand by my side."

It was then when I was finally able to speak. "Who... _are_ _you?"_

He chuckled for a short moment, showing a sweet yet sinister smile.

 _ **"I am**_ _**Erito Hajimoto."**_

* * *

~Chapter Six, Daily Life Three, End~


	37. His Life, Their Pawn Daily Life 4

It's been several years now, since I moved from America to Japan. It was a huge change, at first. When you're a kid, you're afraid of change and starting all over. Afraid of the table being cleared and being asked to sit at another.

I hated moving.

I remember the roaring sound of the plane engine. How I squeezed my plushie dog as my body was pushed back into my seat with great force as the plane took off.

It was a long trip. It took at least a whole day of traveling, but I wasn't able to sleep even once. I couldn't even eat much either, save for a bunch of saltine crackers and two cups of apple juice.

I never wanted to say goodbye, but it never really was my choice. My father had work to do in Japan, so Japan was where we went.

Except we didn't just stay for a few days or weeks. We didn't just stay for a few months or even a year.

It was a permanent move.

I lost contact with him and his family. Forgot the phone number faster than that plane took off. And while I could've asked my parents to hand me the phone, I never had the chance as I was sent off to study away from them.

Now here I am, eight or so years later. Sitting down with my legs crossed, back leaning against a metallic pillar. To my left was a large fountain, the water rippling and jiggling and tearing up the sunlight. To my right, the sidewalk tiles neatly with strangers passing by.

This was my thinking spot. I liked to sit down here at least once a day to work on homework while eating lunch. My highschool's pretty lucky to have this enclosure at all, so I may as well make the most of it.

I liked to close my eyes and listen to the splashing of the fountain. If no other people were nearby, the gushing of water became the only sound to fill my ears. I found it to be...meditative.

It reminded me of the forests Zaki and I used to walk through when we were kids. I could hear the rustling of the leaves, the birds chirping, and the stream flowing and splashing water. I missed those memories, I longed for them, but I knew deep down inside that I would never get to experience them again.

You know, it all started with him. He was the one who encouraged me to find my dream. He and I - we grew up, we were the best of friends. And for every struggle he went through, I was there by his side to support him.

He always did things to make other people happy. That was the kind, generous person he was. He wanted nothing more than to make the people in his life smile. I saw that especially when his parents were struggling with money, and poor Zaki tried everything he could to give them happiness.

He enjoyed having those fire parties because it brought all the neighborhood children together. It wasn't the safest means of having fun, but it was... _our thing_. We would play with the fire, pretending to be dragons having a fantastic battle to the death. He wanted to make us happy. Hell, he wanted to make the world just a little bit brighter.

But then, I watched as that slowly destroyed him.

I swear, I've never taken off that bracelet he gave to me.

I never forgot about him. I just couldn't face him.

Despite every bit of justification I had for being unable to at least call him, I felt like I was making excuses for myself. I just couldn't let him see me like this. Insecure, afraid of the future, even after all he tried to encourage me to follow my dreams.

Little did I know, I would see him again.

Though, as cruel as fate would have it, not in the way I had ever imagined.

"...Mikanne, you've heard on the news about the Faceless Kidnappings, haven't you?" My mother asked me, the morning I was taken.

"Yeah." I looked at my mother, worriedly. "Fifteen teens were all kidnapped because... someone's trying to bring back _The Killing Show._ One of them was from not too far away from here."

"Please, be careful when you go outside." My mother walked over to me, placing a hand on my cheek. "Stay on the main path through Shibuya. Don't go anywhere you can't see other people around. Do you - Do you think I should come with you on the train?"

"It's alright, I can head there by myself just fine. I will be safe, I promise." I slowly put on my black mask over my mouth, covering my large burn scar. "I'll be fine, Mom."

The last words I told her were _I love you_.

It was nice and warm outside in the late Spring. The people were all in a hustle, flowing in and out of the train station.

We moved to Japan after the accident. It wasn't because of Zaki, not at all. We were going to move anyway. I just wish that I knew that this move would be permanent. Maybe there could've been something to keep us together, but...I guess I'll never know.

I just got accepted into a top university, and I will be studying design. It's just like I promised him. Does he still remember me? Does he wonder what I'm doing, just like how I wonder about him?

What has he been doing, all these years?

I took out my sketchbook to doodle. There were many designs of many characters that all came to life from visions in my head to people living in the graphite world in my book.

I missed him, I missed him a lot. But, I was too afraid to even try to reconnect. I was a coward.

"That emblem on your bag. You wouldn't happen to be going to that university a few stops down from now, would you?"

I looked over to see a masked man sitting beside me. The train car was empty besides the two of us.

"Who are you?" I asked, staying calm.

"Me? Just your friendly neighborhood pal. Who are you?" The person asked me.

I replied, jokingly. "Just your friendly neighborhood soon-to-be university student."

"Ah. I see. You're going to orientation today." The masked person leaned back in their seat. "Not out of high school yet?"

I ignored their question, cutting the fluff. "I know who you are." I slowly stood up. "You're with those Faceless people."

"And I know who you are as well." The individual stood up, facing me. "You are Mikanne Aiyaga, our soon-to-be Number Sixteen."

I frowned. "Sounds like you're choosing these people with reason rather than grabbing people off the streets."

"Ah. So you know about how we took celebrities Weise Vayrne and Ingreis Arinama." The person nodded. "Known people, it really gets the pot stirred."

I closed my eyes. "Alright then, who else did you take? Why choose me for your scheme?"

"Oh, well we've got…" The individual began to count with his or her fingers. "Kyohi Hayai, Zraiko Nikiroi, Mei Juana, Fraize Kimizai, Soro Otonori, Yuuta Erotomi, Kamiyaki Raiyne, Riko Hamoizumi, Neizami Otomaeda, Anne Kimidori, Tikari Fanorne, and Sayino Makora."

These were all the victim's of these international kidnappings. And yet, why did they mostly have Japanese names? Well, later I would know why that was - their connections to _Danganronpa_.

I squinted my eyes. "You only gave me fourteen names in total. There's one more."

"That's because I'm doing this for dramatic effect, buddy." The person leaned in. "Because this last person is the reason why we came for you."

"Oh really?" I took a step back as the person walked closer to me. "I wonder who this person could be. Last I remembered, my friends aren't eloped into some kind of cult."

I was grabbed from behind by two other masked people. The first one stood before me, I suppose he or she was smiling upon me. "Kozaki Daisuke."

"Wh...What?" I asked, the name being probably the last one I would have expected.

"Kozaki Daisuke." The person repeated his name. "Your old childhood friend. He was the first person we kidnapped, and you will be our last."

"Wh-Why him?" It felt like for a moment, I hardly cared about the situation I was in. Zaki? I hadn't heard someone say his name in so long. It felt surreal, out of place, impossible.

They say the first kidnapping happened in America. They say it happened in November, seven whole months ago.

And I was being told by someone I've never known that the victim was my childhood friend?

I didn't believe it.

"Because his uncle saved a seat just for him." The masked person nodded. "You don't need me to go into detail, do you?"

I didn't respond. Part of me felt like I knew what this person was saying, but the other part of me was clueless.

The masked person pulled out a mask. "Come on then, Mikanne, Zaki misses you. Ah, but I suppose even after all these years, you're still not ready to see him?" The person slowly walked over to me. "Hmm, we'll have to give you an... _upgrade_. We'll give you elf ears, some piercings, a whole new look. Kozaki will never recognize you." The person then reached over to my bracelet. "What a pathetic friendship you two had…"

I struggled, trying to keep the person away from me. It was difficult to bite down and not say anything in response.

"Hmm, hmm. We have a lot in store for you." The individual lined up their fingers like a window, looking at me through them. "You'll be a work of art." The person then spoke into an earpiece. "We have Number Sixteen. See you shortly."

A calling card was placed onto the floor, the masked person pulling off the string bracelet from my left wrist and dropping it on top of the card. "Mikanne Aiyaga, well...this is goodbye."

The mask was pushed into my face. I felt my strength leave me.

And that wouldn't be the only thing I'd lose.

* * *

Open the fridge. Get out the bread. Pop it into the toaster. Get the tomatoes, the salami, the cheese, the pickles. Slice the tomatoes, slice the pickles. Get the bread from the toaster. Assemble the sandwich, cut it into halves along what will become the hypotenuse of two perfect right triangle sandwiches.

Yes, my way of thinking was very organized. Step by step, simple and clean.

I pulled up a chair and took a seat at the kitchen table, taking a bite from my sandwich and humming in satisfaction. It's not my favorite, but I'm just glad to have something to eat.

Now that I had some time to myself - time away from that lab-cat most of all - I figured I could spend it...thinking.

Thinking about what?

Ending the game, when help will finally arrive, how the next sandwich I'll make will have some lettuce in it for extra crunch.

But then my thoughts began to drift back to the paper. It was something I was trying to distract myself from ever since the end of the trial.

I'll know when the time is right, that's what Fraize said.

Making sure my hands were clean, I took out the paper and stared at it in silence. It sort of felt like I was using laser eye vision to read the ink print hidden under the folds. Though, I suppose it would've looked very ridiculous to any oncoming bystanders.

My fingers rubbed the folds of the paper Fraize had given to me. Now would be the time to open this, wouldn't it?

It could finally give me atleast some piece of logic, something that made sense. I was tired of going in circles with that lab-cat, or whoever Tobi was supposed to be.

"Mikanne?"

I looked over to see Weise standing nearby, around the fridge.

"Oh, Weise…" I slowly tucked the paper away. "How have you been?"

Weise looked to the side. "Mmh, still alive, yes?"

"Yes." I picked up my sandwich once again to take a bite. Some of the crumbs got onto my cheek, though I was hesitant to brush them off and risk disturbing my scar.

"Mikanne?" Weise walked over to me. "What was that you were holding?"

I turned back to him. He was going to ask about the paper, and what was I going to say? "It's a note, from Fraize."

"Oho?" The young fashion designer pulled up a chair. "Aren't you going to open it, my friend?"

I sighed. "I don't know when I'm supposed to. He told me I would know when the time was right."

"Well...do you know?" Weise puffed his cheeks. "Because if you don't, then...the time is wrong, no?"

I took another bite from my sandwich. "Hmm...that makes sense."

Weise looked away for a moment. "You're not really one for conversation, are you Mikanne? Your answers are always short."

I quietly finished my sandwich. "... Apologies. I have a lot on my mind."

"About Tobi?" He looked back at me.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I stood up and went to go wash my dish.

"I saw Zraiko earlier." Weise also stood up. "He seemed sort of angry."

"What else is new?" I sighed quietly to myself.

Weise twiddled his fingers. "Ok, sort of angry wasn't the right way to say it. It was more, very angry. I'm scared he's going to yell at Riko."

"Yell at her?" I turned off the sink and put the dish away to dry. "For what?" He only really gets worked up about two things, the killing game and anime.

"He says she lied to him." Weise shook his head. "But Riko is not a liar, no! So, I wanted to ask you to make sure Zraiko won't be so angry with her. I'm sure this is a misunderstanding."

Riko...a liar? What context-

…

Tobi.

Great, great, great-

Fuck.

Well, what do I do next?

A) Stay quiet and hurry from the room

B) Ask Weise for clarification

C) Make another sandwich

…

I quietly hurried out of the room, heading straight back to my shift room. Weise was quick to follow behind me, understandably he was worried about what would happen. I was worried, as well. Though, for a different reason.

When I entered my shift room, I found Kyohi and Tobi were sitting together - no sight of Kozaki, no sight of Riko. I was baffled.

"Heya, Mikanne. You're back?" The hockey player stood up, calmly. "You seem kinda tense...is everything alright?"

I didn't reply to Kyohi. Instead, my eyes were fixated on the interloper.

"..." Tobi looked at me calmly before pouting and putting his hands to his hips. "It's rude to stare, and it's rude to ignore people!"

I sighed as I shook my head, then looked away. "I suppose I was worried over nothing. Everything seems fine here. I don't see any shenanigans from Kozaki and Riko going on, so that probably relieves me the most."

Kyohi nodded. "Yeah, Tobi and I were talking about different types of cheeses. Kozaki and Riko were already gone by the time I came here. They must've finished their business quickly."

Tobi smiled in what felt like a warm smile with a sick twist under the surface. He didn't acknowledge the topic of the former arsonist, nor the clarinetist. "What would you prefer? Gouda or feta?"

For a moment I thought about what I would answer before brushing it away. "Sorry. I didn't come here to be quizzed about cheese. If everything is fine, you can head out, Kyohi."

Weise seemed to be disappointed, as though he were ready to give his own answer.

The hockey player stood up, nodding. "Alright. Hope your lunch was good."

My only response was a simple nod. I then watched as Kyohi exited the room. Weise twiddled his fingers, it seemed like he was debating if he should stay or leave.

"You can head out, Weise." I nodded to him. "And if you see Zraiko, can you tell him to come here as soon as possible?"

Weise nodded in return before hurrying out. "Yes, I'll do my best!"

After waiting for a moment, I closed the door and turned to face Tobi. "What's your game?"

"My game?" Tobi tilted his head.

"Kozaki and Riko. Did they do anything? Did they say anything?" I walked over to the interloper and frowned.

Tobi calmly shrugged his shoulders. "I got robbed, if that's important to you."

"You got robbed?" I folded my arms, raising an eyebrow.

Tobi nodded. "Mhm, my ID card was nabbed by the blondie. So now I'm _super_ stuck here."

Riko took Tobi's ID card...I wonder what for. Will she and Kozaki be studying it? Maybe they'll pry it open to find some kind of clues?

I took a seat in a nearby chair and continued to stare at the alleged lab assistant. "Super stuck, you say."

"Mhm." Tobi seemed to be rather annoyed. "I really need my card back. She promised to return it to me later, so she better keep her word."

I rolled my eyes to look upwards to the ceiling. Man, I've only just had a break, but already I was getting tired of being around Tobi. "I'll have to ask them about the card when I have the chance. Maybe when Zraiko comes back, I'll look for them."

Tobi didn't respond. Though, his facial expression seemed to shift ever so slightly. Something about him seemed to reflect a look of guilt.

Strange…

"Nya, Mikanne." He tilted his head. "I think I've had enough for today." He stretched, calmly. "You haven't tied me up, how generous of you. I'll actually be able to sleep with some level of comfort."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "I could sure use some sleep myself…"

Tobi layed down on the floor, sprawling out his arms and legs. "Alright, good night."

I blinked before I stepped closer. "You're just going to lay there?"

"Ahuh." He replied, simply.

"And I'm supposed to believe that you're going to just stay there, on the floor, all night." I squinted my eyes, lightly.

"Ahuh." He replied once again.

"And you're not going to go after Kozaki, nor are you going to have any tricks up your sleeves?" I was confused, to say the least. Something about his behavior, it was off. It felt like he knew something I didn't, and frankly that left me nervous.

"Ahuh." He replied in the same manner yet again. "Don't believe me? We could sleep together."

"Hard pass." I took out my Bottolet to contact Zraiko. Was it his turn for the night shift? I certainly hoped that was the case. I've had enough of this kitty for today.

It took awhile for the hacker to respond. I wonder if that had anything to do with what Weise mentioned, him being upset with Riko for being dishonest. As he entered the shift room, it was clear his mind wasn't in the right place.

"Hey, are you good to do the night shift?" I asked him, tilting my head lightly.

He sighed and took off his glasses to rub his forehead. "Yeah, I'll handle it tonight. I need something to do to distract myself."

"Distract yourself? Is this about Riko and Kozaki?" I crossed my arms.

"Those two are up to something…" Zraiko muttered under his breath before making eye contact with me. "Get some rest, Mikanne. I'll catch up with you in the morning. Hopefully those two stay out of trouble."

I nodded before patting Zraiko on the shoulder firmly and heading out.

Riko and Kozaki. What were they up to?

A) They're scheming something to find information about the cult

B) They're scheming something to find what happened to Fraize in his execution

C) They're scheming something to find a way to shut down the killing game

D) All of the above

Yeah, option D sounds exactly like them. All I know for certain is that they're scheming something.

I better catch them in the morning to see what's going on with them.

* * *

My sleep was alright. Hard to really describe it besides saying I was unconscious for several hours, and even still I felt like I hadn't rested at all. My eyes were sore. They tingled every time I looked at light of any kind. I had to go to the bathroom to wash my face before the tingling faded away.

I figured I could grab something to eat from the kitchen before returning to my shift room, so I got myself a bundle of bananas. That, and an unopened box of cereal loops. Popping into the room, I could see Zraiko slumped against the wall facing Tobi, snoring lightly.

Seems like his body forced him to sleep.

Tobi simply sat on the floor. He didn't make any attempt to leave the room, which I pondered about.

"Good morning, blue boy." Tobi smiled at me, then at my breakfast. "Ooh, is that for me?"

I took a seat on the floor before I opened up the box of cereal. Pulling the plastic open, I stuffed my hand into the box to pull out a handful of loops. I then shoved them into my mouth to chew and swallow.

"...You absolute barbarian." Tobi seemed to be disgusted.

I shrugged as I plucked a banana and peeled it open to take a bite.

"Is this some new strategy to torture me into speaking?" Tobi quivered. "Ooh, it might be working."

I rolled my eyes as I got myself another handful of cereal.

"Stop this, stop this at once!" Tobi frowned. "How dare you butcher the wonderful food that is cereal like this!"

Blinking, I slowly reached for another handful.

"No, no…!" Tobi leaned in. "Don't do it…!"

I did it.

"Gaaaah!" Tobi turned away. "You are too cruel, Mikanne!"

After finishing my breakfast, I slid over a banana to Tobi. "Here, eat this."

He sighed and reluctantly took the banana. "Thanks."

I sat with my legs crossed, thinking to myself. What was I going to do today? What even was there to do? Yes, find Kozaki and Riko. Stop whatever plan they have that will obviously cause us trouble.

And then what?

I suppose it's back to watching the lab cat.

I stood up, leaving the bundle of bananas within Tobi's reach. "I'm going for a walk."

He watched as I exited, from his complexion I figured he was curious about me.

My first thought was to go right to Kozaki's room and knock for him, but I knew he wasn't a morning person. He wouldn't respond. Instead, I decided to walk around the first floor, not really looking to go anywhere in particular. I noticed that Kyohi and Weise were playing in the arcade, so I decided not to disrupt them.

I also noticed...that the Mono-Shift Room was open again. The door this time was a beige-painted wooden one. Like a typical front door of someone's house.

Huh...we didn't even get an announcement about it reopening. What's this about, then?

"Nya, they finally finished their big construction project." Tobi walked over, crossing his arms behind his back. "Though, personally, beige isn't really my color."

"L-Lab cat!" I stepped away, frowning. "What are you doing here - were you following me?!"

"Chillax, blue boy." Tobi smiled, innocently. "I'm just going for a walk, y'know. Also came here to critique the new installation."

I frowned, figuring his next line would be something akin to, 'What? You didn't tie me up, so what were you expecting?'

This is what happens when Mikanne Aiyaga doesn't get enough sleep and leaves his exhausted brain cells to run on auto-pilot.

Though, admittedly, he doesn't seem to be much of a threat at the moment. I wonder if his spite for Monobotto outweighs his other goals…

"What room even is this?" I folded my arms, tilting my head.

"Oh, good question. The decor job was so bad, I couldn't tell ya." Tobi opened the door and stepped inside. "Blech. Smells _awful."_

I took a few steps inside before realizing that I was stepping in mud. Looking around, I could see the room had been transformed into a forest.

A forest.

Just like from…

No, but it couldn't be, could it?

"What is that _awful_ smell?" The alleged lab assistant squeezed his nose with his index finger and thumb.

I closed my eyes to take in a deep breath. "Pine trees, they smell so... _alive."_

Tobi stuck out his tongue. "Blech."

I turned to look at the interloper. "What, have you been out in space for too long? This is one of the most incredible smells in the world."

Tobi stepped out of the room. "Uhg, now the bottoms of my shoes have dirt on them."

Seems like he ignored me…

…

I have to get Kozaki. He needs to know about this place.

Something about this feels sinister, wrong. Like this is some sort of mind game. I just wish I could put my finger on what the true motive for this is…

"Hey, lab cat." I turned to look back to Tobi. I figured this would be a good chance to learn more about the alleged lab assistant while keeping his guard down. "Come back inside. I'm lonely."

"Haaah?" Tobi tilted his head at me. "Yeash, Mikanne. At least take me out to dinner first…"

I frowned, crossing my arms. "You know what I meant."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." Tobi walked back into the room. "My shoes are now even further muddied. Happy?"

I calmly closed my eyes. "Tobi, your home...were there forests like this?"

"My home?" Tobi scratched his head. "It's been a long while since I've thought about home."

That told me something. Tobi still felt that there was a place outside of this space ship that was where he belonged. Perhaps, if he thinks this way, that could mean his allegiance to the Faceless Cult isn't as strong.

And there might be a way to get him on our side.

"So, your home. Tell me about it." I patiently took a seat besides a tree trunk.

"Hmm, well...there weren't really any forests. You'd have to drive for a bit to get to one. You'd have to drive for a bit to get _anywhere_ , even the grocery store. It was so...empty." Tobi recalled, thinking deeply. "For me, it wasn't right. I wanted to be in a place with more hustle and bustle."

"So...how did you end up in Faceless?" I leaned in.

Tobi shook his head. "My secret."

I nodded, slowly. "Fair enough."

A moment of silence.

"Tobi, that symbol…" I felt my left wrist. "What does it mean?"

Tobi looked at his necklace. "Oh, this? It's a little trinket to show my membership to Faceless."

I looked to the side. "Kozaki had that symbol on his old hoodie sleeve…"

Tobi tilted his head. "Oh, I think that was like a mark or something."

"A mark?" I turned to look back at the alleged lab assistant.

"He's Erito's greatest experiment, after all." Tobi nodded. "It would make sense to...dare I say, brand him?"

I frowned upon hearing that. "Poor choice of words."

"My apologies." Tobi bowed. "Well, talking to you sure was fun, but I'm going to head back to the good ol' shift room."

"Still not going back to the lab, are you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Couldn't do it even if I wanted to now." He sighed, shrugging his shoulders rather casually. "I told you last night, didn't I?"

Right...Riko has his ID card.

"Can I leave now?" Tobi looked to his feet. "My shoes need to be cleaned right away."

I sighed and shook my head. "Sure, just go."

"Toodles!" Tobi gleefully waved as he skipped away.

I sighed, feeling my head. This isn't good. What could Riko and Kozaki have done? I thought I could at least trust them to be alone for a minute, but it seems like they can't be let out of my sight at all.

I need to find them, right away.

And given the conversation we had last night, I could already feel my gut twist knowing that I was about to find something that meant very, very bad news.

The first place I checked to find them was their dorm rooms. Neither of them were there.

Alright, don't panic. Think rationally. Where could they be?

Riko had Tobi's ID card.

Last night, they both asked about the elevator.

Tobi's ID card can control the elevator.

...

 _The ID card can control the elevator._

Fuck. _Fuck_. _**Fuck.**_

I hurried down the halls to the Compass as fast as I could. I passed by Weise and Kyohi in the hall, the pair of friends looked baffled and concerned as I hurried past.

When I got to the elevator, I checked it thoroughly. There wasn't much dust on the surface of the doors. It could've been opened recently.

Damn it, what the hell were they thinking?! There isn't even a way for anyone to get down there and help them!

I needed to breathe. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten before turning around.

I need to call for an emergency meeting right away. That lab cat has a lot of explaining to do.

As I began to walk back down the hall towards the dorms, a certain sound got me to freeze in my tracks.

The sound of the elevator doors opening.

"Mikanne!"

I turned to watch Kozaki run in my direction. His clothes were partially ripped up, and he looked like he was bruised quite badly.

And his eyes, they were glitching from one color to another again.

From his usual maroon eyes, to _that_ color.

That bright, golden color. The same color as Fraize's.

"Where the hell have you been?!" I asked him, frowning. Oh, we both knew the answer, but I needed him to explain himself. "I leave for a minute, a _Goddamn minute_ and you vanish...and what's with all these bruises? Damn it, Zaki, you better explain this right now-!"

Kozaki stopped just before me to catch his breath. "Cultists...the lab…Riko…!"

What?

"Hey, hey, slow down." I worriedly felt my left wrist. "What happened?"

Kozaki looked upwards to me, it was clear he was in a panic. "Riko took Tobi's ID card. We took the elevator to the labs - we were trying to finally find the truth, and we were trying to find Fraize. We found Uncle Haiji's office. Then the cultists, t-then Riko...they took her!"

I frowned. "You _what?"_

"We have to get down there... she's alone, we have to help her!" Kozaki felt at his face. "No, no, no I can't take this anymore! I can't lose someone again!"

I tightly closed my eyes and shook my head. I would've hugged him if it weren't for the fact I wanted to slap him so hard across the face. "Zaki, you have to breathe. Slow breaths, okay?"

But he was frantic. He hardly slowed himself down at all. "B-But, we have to do something! What if something happens to her?! I-It'll be all my fault again!"

I firmly placed my hands onto his shoulders in order to give him a shake. "...I told you to breathe, didn't I?"

He seemed to be completely flabbergasted. "M-Mik, damn it, there's no time to breathe when she's down there…!"

"Seriously, stop before you give yourself a heart attack." I removed my hands to look to the side. "You have...a _lot_ of explaining to do."

Kozaki finally let out a sigh to calm down slightly. "Riko and I went down the elevator using Tobi's card. We were trying to-"

"You already told me that part." I leaned in. "I want to know what the _hell_ was going on through your mind. Trying to find the truth, and going alone?"

"Riko was with me." Kozaki frowned. "She-"

"She's hardly the one who should've gone down there alone with you!" I groaned. "I mean, hell, we all could've gone together. But the two of you? Are you stupid?"

Kozaki shook his head. "I knew it was risky, but that felt like our chance."

"And you ended up gambling away your friend's safety." I poked him in the chest with my index finger. "And, pray tell me, _for what?"_

Kozaki bit his lip. That response seemed to have upset him.

I wasn't going to bother answering my own question out loud. That would be rubbing salt on the wound. But regardless, I knew what. And so did he.

Kozaki came back empty-handed. It was for nothing.

I couldn't keep it in any longer. I couldn't stop myself from slapping him across the face. "You idiot! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

He silently rubbed his cheek with his right hand.

"Do you even know what you've done, Kozaki? Riko's in danger - she could be dead! How do you know, how do we know? What are we supposed to do about it?"

He covered his face in his hands, his body shaking lightly. "I...I didn't…"

"None of us have any way of getting down there. Riko has that lab cat's ID card." I clenched my fists. "We can't help her, Kozaki. We can't do anything."

He shook his head, again and again. "S-She'll be okay, she's going to be okay...she can fight…"

"When are you going to wake up from your delusions?!" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Fraize is dead! Riko might as well be!"

"N-No!" Kozaki started to tear up. "They're down there! We have to go to the labs!"

I grabbed him by the collar and forced him to look me in the eyes. "You did this, Kozaki. You did this to her. You willingly went down there with her, and now look what happened." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Take some responsibility for your actions, damn it...I want her to be okay, I really do. But...we can't do anything. We can't help her now."

Kozaki silently looked to the floor.

I let go of him, turning my back to walk away. "I'm sorry, Kozaki. Until you're finally ready to wake up, I can't help you."

With that, I prepared to walk away.

I prepared to turn my back to him, to leave him alone.

…

No, I - I can't do this.

I turned around. "Zaki, I…"

Kozaki silently looked back up to me.

I pulled him into a hug, I could feel his body shake in my hold. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to just...abandon you like this. I'm angry, don't get me wrong. But you still need someone, you need me."

He returned the hug, shaking less. He still remained silent.

I was convinced that my friend was a schizoid. That he didn't even realize he was living in a pile of lies and delusions, that the very life he was living just wasn't real.

And it doesn't even end there. Being an experiment for his uncle - for this whole Faceless Cult. Not to mention, this is the second time he's allegedly escaped from the lab.

No, he couldn't have escaped. Those cultists know exactly what they are doing. They _let_ Kozaki escape. Further crafting a world that only existed in his mind. Whatever they wanted to do to him, the reason why Tobi kept trying to bring him to the lab, they must've already done it.

I feel him, I feel him trembling lightly. Like he's holding on by just a thread. He can't handle losing any more than he already has.

"Zaki…" I slowly pulled back. "Go to your room and rest. I'll talk to the others, and we'll... we'll think of something."

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve before nodding slowly.

I smiled gently as I reached to stroke his hair. It always calmed him in the past, so I figured it would still work now.

He smiled, a shy smile.

"Alright, now go to your room before I slap you again." I said, half jokingly.

Kozaki quietly nodded before walking off to his room. I could see it as he left, he was limping lightly.

He was covered in bruises, and I added one more.

After standing alone with only myself and my thoughts, I decided to send messages to the others on their Bottolets.

 _Emergency meeting. I need you all to come to my shift room as soon as possible._

* * *

As I shut the door behind myself, I turned to face the others and let out a sigh. "Thanks for coming so fast on such short notice."

"It sounded super serious, of course we came right away." Kyohi nodded, looking worried.

I turned to look at Zraiko, who seemed to be dozing off. I gave him a quick shake. "Hey, wake up."

"G-Guh?" He blinked a few times and yawned into his hand. "Sorry...haven't slept well…"

I sighed and nodded slowly as I retracted my hand. I'll give him a pass, he was in charge of watching the lab cat, after all.

Speaking of, Tobi seemed to be unusually quiet. It was as if he was preparing himself mentally for a barrage of questions to come.

"S-So, what happened?" Weise twiddled his fingers. "And why weren't Kozaki and Riko invited?"

I crossed my arms and shook my head. "To put it simply: Riko's been kidnapped down in the lab, and Kozaki escaped and made it back here. He's resting in his room now as we speak."

"What?" Kyohi asked, blinking a few times as though what I had just said went over his head. "Riko's been kidnapped?"

I frowned at the alleged lab assistant. "I think we have our guest to thank."

"Nyah?" Tobi frowned. "I warned them! They ignored me, and yet it's my fault?!"

I rolled my eyes. "You planted that idea into their heads. The idea that Fraize was alive down in the labs, am I wrong?"

"Uh, yeah you are." Tobi shook his head. "I never, never, _neeeever_ said flesh bag body guard was down there."

I didn't believe that. "Then why the hell did they go down there in the first place?"

"They thought he was alive." Tobi shrugged. "But I didn't tell them that. Not at all. I never bribed them to go down there. This was all their idea."

A short silence. I was completely baffled to hear this. Kozaki I could understand, him going through heartbreak and the stages of grief. He might've been trying to bargain with himself that Fraize was still alive and down in the labs.

But Riko? This was a blow to her, but it wasn't nearly as strong as it was to Kozaki.

And yet at the same time...ever since Fraize's execution, Riko's been acting differently.

Damn it, what the hell is going on here?

"...You say that you didn't tell them Fraize was alive." Weise looked to the interloper. "Do you know what happened to him?"

Tobi sighed and avoided eye contact. "I suppose logistically speaking, I would know something because of my ties to Faceless."

"Is there any way you can tell us?" Weise looked down. "So we can finally have some peace."

Tobi looked over to Weise, silently. I couldn't read his face well. I wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Weise, or if he genuinely _couldn_ 't tell him.

Zraiko then stepped forward. "Tell us, Tobi. Is there any way we can get down to the labs without a key card? Any possible way at all?"

Tobi remained silent.

There has to be some kind of way. Tobi, one who usually has a lot to say, wouldn't just choose to remain silent unless he absolutely had to. Someone or something must be silencing him.

"Well, we're going to find that way." I headed over to the door. "Let's give Tobi some time alone."

"What?" Kyohi asked, confused. "After all this time you wanted everyone to watch over him like a hawk?"

I turned to look back to Tobi. I don't know what level of mind games he's playing, but what I do know is that now is the time for Mikanne Aiyaga to make a move.

"Follow me." I walked all the way to the grand staircase. The others trailed behind me, insecurely.

"Mikanne, are you sure about this?" Zraiko pressed me, concerned. "I mean, what if-"

I sighed and looked away for a moment. "Just trust me, okay?"

The others remained quiet as I took a seat on the staircase.

"We have to find some way to help Riko." I folded my hands. "I don't know how to get down there, but we can't just abandon her."

The others then began to seem nervous.

"H-Hey, come on." I frowned, lightly. Were they thinking that I was starting to catch that disease of delusionment that Kozaki and Riko had?

They took a few steps back. Weise spoke up as he raised his index finger to point behind me. "M-Mikanne…"

I slowly turned around to see Monobotto. It was standing in place, staring in silence.

"R-Robot." I frowned. "What do you want?"

Monobotto tilted its head. "Riko-Hamoizumi-? Down-there-?"

I gulped, "Yeah, wouldn't you already know about it?"

Monobotto spun around slowly. "I-liked-you-better-when-you-didn't-speak."

I fell silent, looking to the floor.

"Robo-bucket!" Weise puffed his cheeks, placing his hands to his hips. "Can't you help Riko?"

"Can-I-?" Monobotto spun counterclockwise. "I-don't-think-I-want-to. She-was-trespassing."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Kyohi asked, worriedly.

Monobotto grew quiet for a moment.

"Come on, Robo-bucket!" Weise placed his hands to his hips again. "Give us at least something we can try!"

It looked like Weise was pretty upset. After all, he and Riko have grown particularly close.

Maybe he was worried about losing yet another friend he was close to.

"..." Monobotto eerily rolled around. "Alright. I-will-give-you-something-you-can-do."

"Ah?" Weise seemed to be caught by surprise. "Well, good! What is it, then?"

Monobotto hummed. "It's-a-pretty-sweet-deal. That-is-what-you-clowns-would-call-it. Right-?"

A sweet deal? That got me feeling slightly worried.

Alright, well...I'm more worried than I'd like to admit.

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "So tell us, wingnnut. Your so-called sweet deal. What is it?"

Monobotto hopped up and down. "Open-your-ears-! I-won't-be-repeating-myself-!"

We all silently watched Monobotto as it continued to hop. I wasn't sure if it was out of excitement, or some other motivation scripted into its code.

"As-you-may-know. There-is-a-certain-unwanted-guest-here-in-the-Killing-Odyssey. Let's-call-him-the-Juggernaut. After-all-he-does-have-quite-the-number-of-advantages-here. So. What-you-can-do-is…"

We watched as Monobotto hopped cheerfully, a bit _too_ cheerfully.

"If-you-kill-him…" Monobotto slowly turned back to us. "Your-dear-friend-Riko-Hamoizumi-will-be-guaranteed-a-safe-return-to-you-all."

I gulped, feeling a cold sweet roll down the back of my neck. A sweet deal? No, no way in hell. We'd have a class trial, another execution. We can't take this anymore.

Not to mention...murder is murder. I know from the bottom of my heart, Riko would never want us to kill, even if it meant she would be saved from... _wherever_ she was.

"Kill...Tobi?" Kyohi turned to look back in the direction of the shift rooms, as though he was looking to see the interloper.

"Huh, huh, huh?"

We turned around to see Tobi hurry over from downstairs, with a piece of toast in his mouth. He tripped over one of the stairs before making it up to the top.

"Oh. You-are-just-in-time." Monobotto enthusiastically proclaimed...with as much emotional delivery as a robot could have.

Tobi swallowed up the toast and placed his hands at his hips. "I thought I heard you talkin' smack, so I came over to listen."

That might be a bit more accurate than he thinks, given how Monobotto wants us to, well…'smack him to death.'

"Oh-this-is-wonderful-! You-already-know-what-we-talked-about." Monobotto hopped, cheerfully again.

"Nyah?" Tobi stepped back. "What do you mean?"

Zraiko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Monobotto made you a target to kill in order to save Riko."

Tobi blinked for a moment to process this. "N-Nyah?!"

"That-is-correct." Monobotto affirmed. "Now-would-you-like-to-be-sliced-or-diced-?"

"H-Hey, what the-?!" The purple-haired lab assistant protested. "This wasn't-!"

"If-you-try-to-escape…" Monobotto turned back to Tobi. "You-will-be-swifty-eliminated."

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me…" Tobi gulped and stepped back, growing pale. "You can't do this…! Erito-!"

"You-made-yourself-at-home-here…" Monobotto leaned in. "Did-you-not?"

"B-But…! You can't do this! We're, we're...Faceless pals! We stick together!" Tobi stammered, it looked like this was the first time he had ever experienced fear.

Zraiko, Weise, Kyohi, and myself grew silent as Monobotto and Tobi began to argue.

"I refuse to partake in this!" Tobi prepared to walk out. "I'm outta here, you hunka junk! I got no stakes!"

Monobotto then began to buzz and hum violently. Its metal plates around its spherical body were pushed out by various mechanical parts. Those parts all unfolded, and in no time at all we were standing before an artificial creature I could only describe to be from a science fiction film. It had giant, spider-like legs that each stood just barely over my height. It had fangs with the sharpness of a viper, and claws that could cut sharper than knives.

"W-What the hell?!" I leaned back, trying to keep even the slightest bit of distance between me and... _whatever Monobotto was now._

"That robot's gone feral!" Zraiko gritted his teeth, raising his guard.

"I-believe-I-made-myself-clear." Monobotto's voice then glitched out, swapping with the voice of Haiji. "That's an order."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tobi gritted his teeth. "Erito wouldn't ever let this happen!"

"Well, well. He did tell me he wanted to spice things up as we began to reach the end. I think this works out quite nicely." Haiji replied in a calm manner. "Now be a good kitty and stay here, okay? Pspspspsp, here kitty. You stay here. Pspspspsp."

Tobi looked like he had more fight in him, but he decided to give up and let it be. "I'm not dying here."

"Good, good." Monobotto then returned not only in voice, but back to its usual spherical form. "Looking-forward-to-it."

It then rolled away.

So...this was our motive.

Was it?

Well, it was a motive to save Riko.

But it was a motive to kill, to kill Tobi.

…

There's no way Tobi will just let this slide. I mean, that lab cat is full of tricks.

A) He's going to calmly brush off his clothes and walk off

B) He's going to just laugh it off

C) He's going to-

"G-Goauuh…" Tobi sank to the floor, hugging his knees. "I am doomed, so doomed…"

I sighed, giving myself a facepalm. Of course, of course. He's chickening out.

I turned to the others and waved a hand as a signal for them to leave. They all quietly nodded and walked away.

Once they left, I crouched down and looked at the interloper. "Hey, come on. I know you. You're not going to just lie down and die, are you?"

Tobi didn't respond.

"You aren't going to play by the rules. I mean, when have you ever?" I leaned in. "You play by your own rules. I know you. Maybe within the day, you'll think of a whole new plan. We have the same goal in mind. You don't want to die, and we don't want to kill you. So how about we work together?"

Tobi lifted his face up to look at me. "...I can't do that, blue boy."

"Tell me, who's side are you on?" I frowned at Tobi. "Are you with Faceless, the people who are leaving you to die, or are you with us? We can work together, we can defy the motive."

Tobi sighed. "I'm not on anyone's side, nyah. I'm just trying to do two things: Survive, and speak to Master Erito again."

I decided not to question Tobi's goals. "Alright. I have some things I'm trying to do. Survive, stop the game, and save my friends."

The interloper nodded, slowly. "Alright...let's talk tomorrow, you and me in private."

I nodded slowly as well. "Alright. See you there."

With that, Tobi scampered off down the stairs. I suppose he's going into hiding for tonight.

…

What a headache.

Well, at least it looks like things will be in order for

now.

 _Creaaaak_.

I turned to see Kozaki standing in front of his door. His fists were clenched, and his eyes...they looked like they were burning with rage. His breathing was unsteady, and his body was shaking.

 _He must've overhead Monobotto's motive._

 _ **He looked like he was ready to kill.**_

* * *

~ Chapter Six, Daily Life Four, End ~


	38. His Life, Their Pawn Daily Life 5

_Now Loading…_

 _..._

 _Welcome User16_Mikanne._

 _Are you ready to begin your Customization?_

My eyes closed for a moment, trying to hide away from the glowing blue screen before me. My memory was hazy, I thought for a moment that I was dreaming.

But no, I wasn't. I was taken. And now...where am I?

I'm in a dark place, laying down facing upwards with a glowing blue screen prompting me about something called _Customization._

What did that even mean?

I think I remember...some masked people putting me in this place.

That's right. It was after they pulled out another boy, one with black hair and glasses. I would soon know that boy as Zraiko.

 _"Data has been found with predetermined Customization features for you. These files shall be uploaded momentarily."_

That only made me feel even more uneasy.

 _"Let's begin. Would you like to change your name?"_

Huh?

Well, no. I don't want to change it.

But maybe I need a cover name, a way to protect my identity. I don't even know what's going on here.

I want to get out.

 _"Selecting a cover name based on your preferences…"_

Did...Did the computer just read my mind?

 _"A match was found. How do you feel about the cover name 'Mest'?"_

I can't say I can think of any alternatives. Actually, I'm more worried about the fact that this machine can read my mind. I have to find some way to get out of here, but my body feels too heavy to move…

 _"Understood, User16_Mikanne. Now, please take a look at your avatar."_

I opened my eyes to see a little picture on-screen of the avatar. A bald, blank canvas of a human body without even a face.

 _"Let's move on to your hair."_

A drawing of what appeared to be my natural hairstyle was placed into the head of the avatar.

 _"Would you like to change your hair? We can produce options based on your preferences."_

Change...my hair? No, I don't want to change my hair.

 _"Understood, User16_Mikanne. Would you like to change your hair color?"_

No. I want to get out of here. Can you do that for me, computer?

I then noticed that the avatar's hair was colored like mine.

 _"Understood, User16_Mikanne. Now how about your eye color?"_

I don't think you're understanding me at all. I want to get out.

 _"That is not an eye color, User16_Mikanne."_

I guess that means I'll just have to get through this whole thing. Though, I can't say I want to.

Alright, leave my eye color alone. I like it as it is.

The eyes of the avatar were then colored like my eyes.

 _"Understood, User16_Mikanne. Now what about your clothes? Does your current outfit satisfy you? Would you like to change your shirt, your jacket, your pants, your socks, your shoes, etcetera?"_

I am happy with my clothes, nothing to change here.

The only thing I'm worried about is running out of masks...I only have this one right now, and it's not like I can keep wearing the same mask forever.

The avatar then had on a set of clothes, again exactly like mine. It was as if I was looking at a miniature drawing of myself, only that it was generated by a program. A program that, to my understanding, could have a sinister purpose.

 _"Understood. You will be supplied with plenty of spare masks. Do you require any other accommodations?"_

It wouldn't hurt to ask for a way to treat my scars Incase they open up, would it?

Wait, what am I thinking? I can't just go along with this. This is dangerous. I was kidnapped.

 _"Understood. Anything else?"_

No, wait. Tell me who you are. Tell me where I am, what's happening.

…

It looks like I won't be getting a response. At least, not the response I would be hoping for.

 _"Now uploading data files of predetermined Customization features…"_

I blinked as I watched the avatar on screen change slightly. Their ears were pointed out, like an elf's wars. They had earrings, they were wearing black, fingerless gloves, and the brim of their hair seemed to have been extended just long enough to hide away the eyes slightly.

Those were the modifications that person who kidnapped me was talking about? And it's supposed to make me unrecognizable?

 _"We will now be installing appropriate memories for you to have a natural feeling about your new features."_

A-Ah? If the computer can mess with memories, then-

...

My head, it feels heavy...

 _"Now processing your Customization order…"_

The avatar then vanished from the screen. Once the processing was finished, a single line of text remained.

 _"Thank you, goodnight."_

Goodnight?

Before I could question what that meant, my eyes felt heavy. Despite my efforts, my eyes eventually closed, and I fell into what would become a deep, year long slumber.

* * *

I took a step back as I watched Kozaki, careful not to make any sudden movements. To say I wasn't alarmed would be a lie. In fact, I felt a deep feeling of anxiety crawl on my back. "Z-Zaki?"

He looked up to me without a word. I couldn't tell if he was preparing to bolt or something else. I couldn't read him at all.

"Come on, now…" I took a step forward. "You know that robot's words mean nothing, right? It's just saying things to provoke more killings. You...You aren't seriously going to-"

 _"I have to save her."_ Kozaki replied, coldly. It felt completely out of character for him.

"S-Save her?" I frowned. "Do you even know what you're saying right now? Come on, snap out of it."

Nothing about Kozaki's posture faltered. He even seemed to be ignoring me.

"Kozaki, come on. You...You told me, didn't you? You promised you would never kill anyone. Those were your own words!" I stepped forwards again. "You told me, you told me you'd never hurt anyone. Not in the past, not in the future. You're a good person, Kozaki. Don't let this be what breaks you, damn it!"

He looked to the side, as though he were unsure of himself. He still did not reply.

"Fraize gave up his life to protect you." I stopped, just in front of him. "He wanted to save you. He wanted you to live, and to go home."

Kozaki looked back at me, still silently.

"Don't let them win, Kozaki." I placed my hands to his shoulders. "Don't let your uncle get away with everything. Take back your life. Stay strong. Breathe."

He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths.

"Better?" I asked, trying to assure him. "I promise, we'll find a way to save Riko."

He pushed my hands away, then turning around and going back into his room.

…

That could've gone better.

"Mikanne?"

I looked over to see Zraiko, Kyohi, and Weise. They walked over, worriedly.

"Go get some rest now, Mikanne." Zraiko nodded to me. "You're going to need it."

My eyes trailed over back to Kozaki's door. "..." I sighed and nodded, slowly. I found myself to be too exhausted to reply with words.

"I guess now we should be watching Kozaki instead of Tobi, huh?" Kyohi rubbed his left shoulder in discomfort.

Weise looked away, saddened. "K-Kozaki would never kill, no. He...He fought all this time to stop this game. He's strong."

"The way that I see it is…" Zraiko crossed his arms. "Monobotto might be targeting him. Think about it. A protagonist's fall from everything they've worked for. To survive only long enough to become what they tried so hard to put a stop to. Imagine the views that would be wracked up."

Kyohi frowned. "Then we have to do everything we can to stop this from happening."

Weise twiddled his fingers. "But...how?"

Zraiko placed a hand onto his head and sighed. "I guess the best thing we could do right now is to sleep on it."

With nobody else having anything to say, the small group slowly dispersed. I made my way down the Grand Staircase, looking to the floor as I went. There was a sinking feeling in my chest that only persisted as I climbed into bed.

A sinking feeling of helplessness.

The feeling of watching someone so close to you drift away, slowly falling apart and crumbling to pieces, while there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Nothing you can do to save them.

I just hope that this won't be the case.

It's not too late, I still have time.

If I could just pick up his pieces, to help him get back onto his feet…

...

I can't fall asleep. The anxiety is keeping me awake despite how exhausted I feel.

The throbbing in my chest, the tightness in my throat, the burning of my eyes…

Staring at the ceiling, staring into darkness, wondering what's looking back at me.

And those echoing words that latched onto my heart, _where were you when I almost died again and again?_

 _Where were you when I went to fight for an exit in the Puzzle Room? When I was cut and bruised and wounded, only to find a corpse rather than salvation?_

But I warned you, I told you to stay away from there. I tried…

 _Where were you when I was freezing to death with Weise in the secret room of the library?_

But I came with Zraiko, and we found you and saved you.

 _Where were you when Anne stabbed me in the chest? When I fell to the floor, helplessly?_

I was trying to pin Anne to the ground with Sayino.

 _Where were you when Sayino lured me into the Final Puzzle Room? Where she knocked me out, where she ended her life?_

I was in the garden, I was telling you to breathe just before it happened.

 _Where were you when Mei shot me in the library? When Fraize came to save me, only to end up giving up his own life in exchange?_

I was searching the entire Killing Odyssey, trying to find you.

 _Where were you when I went to kill?_

That won't happen, Zaki. I won't let it happen. I know it feels like an empty promise, but this time...I'm going to save you.

* * *

A coldness, a chilling quietness. I felt as though I was floating in a vast, empty space. A space devoid of life, of anything other than my own existence.

My head still had that heavy feeling from before, and my memories were quite fuzzy. There was...something about _Customization_ and-

 _ **BANG BANG BANG!**_

My eyes snapped open from the sudden loud banging noise. I barely had time to recognize where I was before my head was smashed with words.

"Hey! Hey, can you hear me?! Come on, at least one of you _putas_ should! Abre la puerta, damn it! I can't be alone here!"

Sitting up, I barely took any time to care for my surroundings as I stumbled over to the door. Slowly, I gripped the handle and opened it. In front of me was a shorter girl, a girl I would soon know as Mei. She seemed to be surprised at first, but her expression quickly shifted into a more serious one. "Finally."

I wanted to ask her, who was she? But she barely gave me time to speak.

"You have no memories of getting here either, do you?" She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Y donde esta los todos? You're the only one who opened your door when I knocked."

I quietly looked around the surrounding area before I stepped back to look around the room I had woken up into. I quietly asked myself, "What is this place…?"

She seemed to have heard me. "I'm taking that as a yes, then. You have no memories either." She kicked at the floor. "Mierda. Iré a investigar una puerta otro."

Looking back to her, I walked over and tried to ask something. But...for some reason, I found it difficult to speak.

"Necesitas alguna cosa?" She tilted her head.

I managed to ask her, "Who are you...?"

She sighed and tugged on her jacket. "Soy Mei."

T-That's all she will tell me, huh? Mei...that was one of the names the kidnapper told me.

"Y tu?" She asked, calmly.

I supposed she was asking for my name in return. "...Call me Mest."

She nodded simply before walking away.

I was quick to make sure I didn't fall behind. Mei looked like she was ready to go at least a hundred miles per hour.

And so we would go on to search all over this foreign place. But we never found a trace of any other person being there. Not until we were dragged by a certain robot onto a stage, that is.

And there, my eyes laid upon him. The boy I hadn't seen for so many years. He'd changed, so much so I couldn't recognize him for a moment. Just a moment, though. After all, one look at his hair and you'd know it was him.

But something about him _felt_ different. His posture, his tone, his complexion. He could hardly stand without shaking, he could hardly speak without sounding afraid, and his face...I could tell by looking at him that he was struggling to keep it together.

It was Kozaki, but it wasn't.

I asked him about the necklace he allegedly lost. What I got back were lies, and I knew they were but I didn't call him out. He lied, lied, and lied more. Kozaki was never a liar, not when I knew him. He was an honest boy, even when he was afraid to tell the truth.

But now, he lied as though telling the truth would kill him. He lied about his necklace, his talent, and so many other things.

Most of all, he lied about his feelings.

 _I'm fine, don't worry about me._

What could've changed him like this? Arsonism? No, it had to be something far more complicated.

Was it because of me? Because of me leaving for Japan? Or was it because of that accident, and the trauma it caused?

He might be a liar, but I know deep down he's not doing it out of malice. He has no wrongful desires. He's not lying to cause hurt.

He's doing it to protect himself, and maybe even to protect those around him.

But the thing about lies is when they pile up, they become bigger and bigger problems. Things start to crack apart, until it all comes crashing down.

That leaves me to wonder now. This insistence that Fraize is alive, are you trying to lie to yourself? Is it that you can't cope with his death, so you want to believe he is alive despite the fact you know he shouldn't be? Are you trying to protect your feelings, or is there really something else going on?

…

Do I believe Fraize is alive?

If I had been asked that a few days ago, I would've said Fraize died in front of my eyes. But, to be honest, I can't even be sure anymore. After all, with these inconsistencies…

If he really is alive, then I suppose my only anxiety would be that Kozaki's delusions would be validated. That he would believe other things he perceived to be reality wholeheartedly. What if he believes nobody died? What if there are voices inside his head?

I wish I could know what's going on inside his mind.

…

I think I realize it now. Why I've been so scared.

I'm not scared _of_ him.

I'm scared _for_ him.

* * *

I woke up early in the morning, about an hour before the morning bell that is. I figured I could take advantage of this by meeting with Tobi now. After all, Kozaki's not exactly an early bird. The less risk of those two being around each other, the better.

Hopefully Kozaki will soon come to his senses. Maybe when he wakes up, he'll feel better. Well, maybe that's asking for too much.

In the meantime, I'll be speaking with Tobi.

After grabbing a new box of cereal from the kitchen, I walked to the Mono-Shift Room. We never exactly established a meeting place, did we? Just that it had to be in private.

"Nya, we're meeting here?"

I turned around to see Tobi walk over. The lab cat looked quite tense and uptight.

"How'd you…?" I tried to ask, though I figured it had something to do with his Juggernaut status.

"Cameras, blue boy. They're everywhere." Tobi adjusted his lab coat. "Let's go inside."

As we stepped inside, he shut the door behind us. We took a seat on some rocks and sat together in an awkward silence for some time.

"Look, let's cut to the chase." Tobi looked to the side. "I know, I know. I shouldn't have any reason for wanting to stay in this organization that's throwing me under the bus big time. But I have my reasons."

"Do they involve Erito?" I asked, calmly.

"I wish it was that simple. It would save me a headache." Tobi shook his head. "It's a bit more complicated than that. Though, it's not something I talk about with just anyone."

"You don't trust me?" I tilted my head.

"Eh, it's more of the cameras being everywhere." Tobi crossed his arms. "Only Erito knows, and I'm not gonna let anyone else find out and use it against me."

"I see." I nodded. "So then, about this. The motive now, and how we're supposed to kill you to save Riko. I need you to answer me honestly."

Tobi tilted his head. "What is it, nya?"

"Are they just lying? Is Riko already…?" I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

Tobi sighed. "No, they wouldn't stoop to that. They've probably got her locked up somewhere, methinks."

I felt just the smallest bit of relief. "As long as she's okay, we'll have a fighting chance to help her."

Tobi didn't respond to that. It seemed like he wasn't sure how to respond at all.

"Something the matter?" I asked, worriedly.

He slowly shook his head. "I've gotten a lot of funny feelings around that girl. Though, I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Funny feelings?" I questioned, not quite following.

Tobi quietly looked to the side. "That girl, your friend. She reminded me of someone I had forgotten for a long time. I was hostile to that at first. I didn't want to be reminded of...the mistakes I've made to get here. I'm not proud of some things. But, I remembered what I wanted to do. What even drove me so far to get here. Why I'm still here…"

I tilted my head, lightly. I didn't verbally respond.

"Don't get me wrong. I still don't like Ramón Loarte." He turned to look at me. "Do I care for you chups? That's debatable. But I don't care about what Haiji wants to do with Faceless. I don't even really care about Faceless at all. I've only been here for two reasons. Master Erito, and...well...the other is my secret."

I sighed, closing my eyes and nodding. "Well, let's call it a truce for now. We'll end this game once and for all, and you'll be able to do...what it is you want to do."

Tobi smiled. The smile felt genuine. "So then...what's your plan?"

"My plan?" I felt my left wrist. "To be honest, I...haven't gotten one yet."

"Aha, well it's a good thing the great, magnificent, incredible, genius Tobi came up with one!" Tobi stood up with a grin. "I can rig the Final Puzzle to accept all five of you. It'll bring you down into a section of the lab where the actual puzzle part awaits. But, once you complete it, you should be able to get right into the labs."

I took a moment to process this. "When should we…?"

"Today." Tobi checked his watch. "We've gotta get this done fast. I have a feeling if we wait it out, that robot's going to find a way to make it even harder for us to get out of this. Get your things packed, all sorted out. Because, well...once you go through the puzzle, there will be no coming back."

That left a heavy feeling in my chest. "So you mean we'll be saying goodbye to the others?"

Tobi seemed to understand what I meant. "Yes. And...your precious items as well. You won't be able to take anything with you. Unless they fit on your person, that is."

I quietly looked away. "...Alright, I understand. I'll start to wake up the others so we have time to prepare."

"Good." Tobi looked away from his watch and back to me. "In three hours, let's meet at the entrance to the Final Puzzle Room. Is that enough time?"

I wasn't sure to be honest. How much time does someone need to say goodbye, and to enter into a deep unknown?

It sounded like no matter what, it'd never be enough time.

"I'll go back into hiding until then." Tobi nervously walked to the entrance. "Y'know, since someone might have a bone to pick with me."

I nodded. "Right, right...see you then."

Tobi then scurried out from the room. I was left to myself for a moment before I shook my head and started to walk to the dorms.

I wasn't sure how to break the news to the others. I wasn't sure if Kozaki was even in a mentally sound place. But, when I knocked on all their doors and had them gather around the Grand Staircase, something about their faces told me they were expecting something. Kozaki was even...oddly calm compared to last night.

"You talked to Tobi, didn't you?" Zraiko leaned against the railing. "And that's why you've gathered us, correct?"

I nodded. "I did."

"What did you decide, then?" The hacker adjusted his glasses.

I looked around all of my friends. "We're going to the Final Puzzle Room. All of us. We won't be coming back."

Kozaki silently looked away. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

I was worried. Really, truly worried. There was no way he would suddenly be fine today. Not after yesterday.

People who have that _look_. The look of wanting to kill. That doesn't just go away into nothing. It goes _somewhere_. Maybe he's trying to hide it. Maybe the moment I look away, he'll either:

A) Hunt Tobi down and light him on fire.

B) Burn the entire killing game down.

C) Finally crack and go insane, and also kill Tobi while burning down the killing game.

D) Do literally anything involved with burning something.

I don't know. Simply, I just don't know. He can be unpredictable.

I have to keep a close eye on him.

"Wait, so...we can't come back." Kyohi looked to the floor. "We'll have to say goodbye to the others, and leave everything here, huh…"

I nodded, slowly. "That's right, Kyohi."

Kyohi closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright. I, darn, it's a lot to take in. We could be finally getting out of this place. But, leaving the others behind…"

If we leave, what will happen to all of our friends we laid to rest? We wanted to bring them home, we wanted to give them a proper farewell. If we leave, we might be risking losing that opportunity.

That...final bit of humanity we have.

"There is something I want to do." Kozaki suddenly spoke up. "I want to...leave my flamethrower in the garden."

"Huh?" Weise tilted his head. "But, Kozaki. That flamethrower, it's important to you, no?"

Kozaki looked to the side. "I...can't really explain how it is that I'm feeling. I just feel like, since we're leaving... it's finally the time for me to part with that part of my life." He looked back to us, playing a hand on his chest. "I told you all, I'm not an arsonist. I'm not who I used to be. If I were to keep that flamethrower, it would be like going back on my word."

"But, you and Mikanne built it together." Zraiko raised an eyebrow. "As far as I understand it, it's symbolic to you both."

Kozaki then turned to me and smiled. "I don't need it anymore, because...Mikanne is with me here, right now. And we're going home together, aren't we?"

I nodded, without words.

The others weren't so sure they could make that kind of commitment.

"My sketchbook is filled with so many designs…" Weise twiddled his fingers. I used it to help pass my time and feel better. I don't want to leave it."

Kyohi also shared a similar sentiment. "I made my hockey stick with my family. With...my sister. Leaving it here feels wrong."

Zraiko shrugged. "My flash drive fits in my pocket. I have no reason to leave it here. It's not inconvenient to carry around."

I didn't say anything either. But...I somewhat did feel a wanting to part with my design book. It symbolized my cowardice. It represented how I ran away and tried to find something new. It felt like a bunch of undeserved accomplishments, a design book of lies.

I personally would be willing to leave that behind.

Kozaki held his right arm. "I-I know, I can't just ask you all to leave them behind. But...unless they're small enough to fit in your pocket, you won't be able to take them with you."

A short silence.

"I'll...see you in the garden." Kyohi walked into his room.

And so, one after another, the group dispersed.

* * *

I decided to walk to the garden about an hour after our group meeting. I needed time to collect myself. To look over the designs in my book, and to prepare myself mentally to part with them. To part with that part of my life. To make the steps forward to know who I am.

When I arrived in the garden, everyone else was already there. Kyohi laid his hockey stick beside Sayino's grave, the hockey stick's ribbon taken off and now being wrapped around his left wrist. Weise laid his book of designs besides Neizami's, passing three sheets of ripped-out paper - of which I presumed to be his favorite pages - over to Zraiko to keep safe for him. Kozaki left his flamethrower besides Fraize's marker, solemnly. The entire room was silent.

I stepped forwards, walking all the way to the graves and setting my design book down. "I'm not too late, am I?"

Kozaki shook his head. "No. We were waiting for you."

"Thank you." I nodded, slowly.

We all gathered around to say a final, heartfelt goodbye to all of our friends. Atleast, that was how it felt. The uncertainty that loomed over us, not knowing if we'd ever get the change to give them a proper funeral, was hard to come to terms with.

We laid bundles of flowers on each of their graves. Though we couldn't hold candles, Kozaki lit matches and gave each one of us a stick to hold until the flames burnt out. When we were finished, we stood in silence.

Kozaki spoke up, turning to face us. "I...won't turn back now. I can't. I've got to keep going. For everyone that died here, for everyone waiting for me to come home. The people that I love, the people that love me. I'm going to make it out of this hell." He slowly looked upwards, to the ceiling. "I'm not going to be afraid anymore. Not of that robot, not of my uncle, not of anyone or anything. I have to live. I refuse to die here. After everything that's happened...today I'm going to take back my life!" He slowly looked back at us. "You guys...please, come with me. Let's go home together, with Riko and…" His voice trailed off.

I sighed, quietly walking over to him and patting his shoulder. "And Fraize."

His eyes widened for a moment before he nodded at me.

I still can't be sure if Fraize is alive or not. Maybe Kozaki's delusions were starting to slip into my own mind. But even so...Kozaki needed things to believe in. If believing in Fraize helps him keep going...I'm not going to take that away from him.

"Then... let's go." Kyohi nodded. "Let's go save them. Let's go home."

Weise nodded as well. "Yes, let's go! And once we get home, I will buy everyone...a pony!"

"A-Ah? A pony?!" Zraiko was surprised.

Weise nodded, pridefully. "Yes, I have plenty of money to spare. It is natural for a multimillionaire such as myself. What color would you like your pony?"

Zraiko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Weise, I don't have the space for a pony. And that's not even the issue-"

"Oh...so...how about I get you a cat?" Weise smiled, cheerfully.

"Weise, you're missing the point-" Zraiko tried to explain.

"Too basic?" Weise placed his hands to his hips. "Hmp, hmp! Then maybe a panther will suit you."

Zraiko fumbled for words. "No, I-"

"A panther it is! Final offer." Weise wagged his index finger. "Now let's get through this first. Once we get home, you'll get your panther right away."

Zraiko groaned and shook his head, defeated.

I checked my Bottolet for the time. "We should be going now. Are you all ready?"

They all nodded in response. With that, we walked together all the way to the entrance to the Final Puzzle Room. Pausing for a moment to take it all in, I opened the door and walked through the long corridor.

"Hey, thanks for coming." Tobi smiled at each of us, then looking a bit nervous as his eyes fell on Kozaki.

Kozaki didn't say anything. He looked right back at Tobi. It wasn't in a threatening way. It was more of him paying close attention to what the lab cat was doing.

"A-Anyways." Tobi nodded. "I am glad that we came to an agreement that...y'know, you won't be killing me. The lovable, wonderful, lab assistant." He bowed. "Thank you for your mercy."

None of us had a way to reply. I felt a tad bit awkward, to be honest.

"Anyways, gather around." Tobi walked around.

We all stood around the seats at the center of the room.

"Five seats, five people." The interloper crossed his arms behind his back. "I can override the program to force the puzzle to be accepted as correct, regardless of who sits where."

We all looked at each other with uncertainty.

"And this will take us down to the lab?" The hockey star felt his left shoulder in discomfort. "What's waiting down there?"

"The Final Puzzle." Tobi nodded. "You'll all have to work together in order to make it out."

"If we do, what happens then?" The hacker asked, folding his arms.

"Well...you'll be in the lab." Tobi shrugged his shoulders. "The Puzzle Room stuff was never really my part of the program, y'know."

"So we're just blindly throwing ourselves for a chance." I sighed under my breath.

The room was silent for a moment.

"Hey…" The former arsonist spoke up. "We have to keep going. We've come this far already, haven't we? Every trial, every obstacle we've managed to survive. We can't stop now because we're afraid." He took in a shaky breath. "I don't want to do this, but I have to. People are waiting for us down there. I'm not going to leave them hanging because I am afraid." He placed a hand onto his chest and closed his eyes. "And I know, I have no right to stand where I am now and say the things that I'm saying. I'm - I'm the reason behind a lot of trouble. A lot of trouble you've had to deal with, too. But _, please_...I ask you all, as your friend, to help me…"

Again, something didn't feel right. I don't know. It wasn't like Kozaki to stand in front of others in this way. He never had this level of confidence before.

Could it have been that visit to the labs?

I don't have a clue.

"I'll help you, Kozaki." Weise nodded, smiling. "I'll beat the puzzle with you!"

Kyohi firmly pumped a fist. "Yeah, we're going to complete this puzzle and find Riko!"

Well, at least the morale seemed to be improved.

"Zraiko, Mikanne?" Kozaki asked, sounding hopeful. So _oddly_ hopeful.

"Right." The hacker nodded. "I'm with you."

I looked away for a moment before nodding as well. "Let's...get this over with."

* * *

I'll admit, it was hard to find the courage to tell him the truth. Especially after seeing how losing Fraize destroyed Kozaki.

It was after he had finished showering. He stepped out and quietly got covered in a towel. There was an uncertain feeling lingering in the air. I wasn't sure what to even do, but...now that we had this moment alone together…

"Zaki, can...we talk?" I asked him, looking to the side. "I understand if you're not ready to yet, but there is something important I need to tell you."

Kozaki quietly nodded. It didn't seem like he had any suggestions as to _where_ we would be having this conversation.

"You might want to sit down." I sighed. "So, how about we go to my room, okay?"

Again, no verbal response.

I walked with Kozaki down to my dorm room, closing the door behind. I opened up my closet and handed him some of my clothes for the time being. "Get dressed. You'll catch a cold if you sit down wrapped wet in that towel."

Kozaki got dressed, still without words. Once he was finished, I had him sit down next to me on my bed.

"...I don't know how to say this." I held my hands together as they rested on my lap. "Zaki...do you know why I couldn't get close to you in the beginning? Besides Monobotto, that is."

He shook his head.

"It's because I didn't believe you were you." I looked over to him. "Because you acted differently than how I knew you. Because you said things that didn't line up with how I remembered them. And that file we got from when you were found in the library…" My voice trailed off.

Kozaki looked at me, silently. Something about his eyes, there was this sadness to them. One of which he was expecting what I was about to tell him, or so I speculated.

"You and I grew up together, in New York." I looked to the side for a moment. "Small neighborhood. Near a forest. We would go on walks, out to the waterfall even. We would stand on giant rocks, and we'd even try to play fishing with long sticks. We skipped rocks together, climbed trees together, we would even go camping in our backyards. Don't you...remember?"

He closed his eyes before shaking his head.

Now it was time to get into the more...difficult part of the conversation.

"A lot of the times we would hang out, you'd vent to me. About how you were scared." I closed my eyes. "Sometimes you'd have bruises or scars. You would always tell everyone you got them from playing outside, being a bit too mischievous for your own good. But those cuts and bruises never came from outside. They would come from inside, because someone was doing that to you. Someone that got into your head. Someone that scared you to lie to your family and everyone around you. Someone who threatened to _hurt_ the people you cared about." I slowly opened my eyes to look at him, saddened. "Do you remember?"

He opened his eyes. "...My uncle."

I nodded. "That's right."

Kozaki slowly felt his face, silently.

"We found out, in the trial. Your uncle manipulated your memories to give you a childhood you didn't have." I looked away. "Kozaki, up until this point, your entire life in this game has been a bunch of lies."

He slowly nodded. "...I can feel them starting to fall apart, Mikanne. My memories. The fake ones and the real ones…" He turned to me. "I don't even know who I am."

"You're you." I tried to offer him a smile. "Right now, you need to take time off for yourself. And I don't mean just locking yourself away again. You need to rest, to really rest."

He nodded again. "Okay…"

I gave him a pat on the back. "You don't have to go through this alone. Not anymore. I'm here for you, Kozaki. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

He quietly wrapped his arms around me, as though he was desperate to find something to hold onto.

I continued to pat his back. "It's going to be okay. We can get through this."

He remained silent.

"You should head to your own room to put on your clothes. After all, mine are a bit big on you." I tried to lighten the mood. "Okay?"

He slowly stood up and turned to leave. But before he did, he paused and looked back to me. "You know, Mikanne...maybe now my memories are starting to clear up."

"Really?" I smiled, gently. "That's good."

He slowly looked to the side. "And now that they are...I think I'm starting to get my _real_ memories." He turned back to me. "Mikanne...I...I remember Kamiyaki."

"Huh?" I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...we've met before, outside of this game." He seemed to be quite dismayed. "It was only a few times, but she was erased from my memory completely."

I wonder why that was…Why erase Kamiyaki, but not me?

"Her school and mine would compete in football tournaments." He looked to the floor. "When we met, it was because I had bumped into her by accident when I was leaving the track. Before I dropped out, the PE teachers were trying to get me into track and cross country."

I paused to think about that. "So...what happened?"

Kozaki sighed. "She was really nice about it. Told me not to worry. Then, sometimes when I would watch the games alone, and she wasn't on the field, she would scoot over to me and strike up some small talk. Just to keep me company."

I could see it on his face, how the emotion was starting to catch up with him.

"Her memories of me, were they erased as well? I wish I could've known. I wish we could've gotten closer. Maybe we would've remembered each other. Maybe we could've become close friends. But…" He teared up. "It's all what could have been, and it never will be. She's dead now. Like the others. Everyone here has become what could have been, but never will be. Especially now, with...with Fraize…" He tried to wipe his tears.

I pulled him into another hug. "You really need to rest up and take time off for yourself, Zaki. Remember, it's up to us to make sure their stories don't end like this. We have to make it home for them."

He returned the hug, sniffling. "I'm scared, Mik. I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't want any more of us to be what could have been. Hell, could it be that I knew _everyone_ here once, even? I don't even know anymore, and that's what scares me."

I chuckled, awkwardly. "I mean...everyone here is from all over the world. It's unlikely for that to be true."

He stepped back. "Y-Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I think I'm just too carried away with my feelings right now." He finally seemed ready to leave. "I'll be going back to my room."

I smiled. "Alright. Enjoy your rest, as much as you can anyways."

He chuckled lightly in response. "Thanks, Mik. For...being here."

I nodded again, lightly. "You're welcome."

I watched as Kozaki then turned around and opened the door. He quietly closed the door behind himself. Once he was gone, I laid down on my bet and sighed, deeply.

I wonder what truths we'll be able to discover as your memories start to crack free.

I just hope...you'll be able to hold on.

* * *

We each took a seat in the mech in the middle of the room. Tobi walked around to inspect each of us, then securing us each with seatbelts. After that was done, he hopped off to the side of the room towards a computer.

"Alright, gentlemen!" Tobi called out to us as he typed into the console. "Please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times!"

 _ **Clank!**_

"I don't think my seatbelt is tight enough!" Weise vocally expressed his concern.

Tobi turned around for a moment. "Huh. This might work out nicely."

 _ **Clank!**_

 **Counting-from-ten. Ten. Nine.**

"Alright." Tobi pulled a lever and bolted over to Weise, then sliding into the seat with the young fashion designer. "There, now the seat belt should be perfectly tight."

Oh, you've gotta be kidding me.

 **Eight. Seven. Six.**

"This is multiple levels of dangerous." Zraiko criticized the lab assistant.

"Danger is my middle name." Tobi grinned.

 **Five. Four. Three.**

"It is?" Weise asked, tilting his head lightly.

"Oh, no." Tobi shook his head. "It's really-"

 **Two. One.**

We all dropped down the floor at what felt like the speed of an airplane in takeoff.

I gripped the strap of my seat belt tightly as I shut my eyes.

We fell deeper and deeper, until there was an almost abrupt stop.

When I opened my eyes, I found that we were faced with a grand door of sorts.

Tobi slowly unbuckled and stood up, crossing his arms behind his back once more. "Gentlemen, welcome to the Final Puzzle."

Getting out of my seat, I looked at the door with caution. "The Final Puzzle...it's behind this door?"

Tobi nodded. "We'll all have to work together to get through this, but I have some good news for you." He winked. "This puzzle was meant for five people, so surely _six_ people will be able to get by without trouble!"

Zraiko scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure if that's true. After all, a board game like chess is meant for two players. There isn't any room for others to join."

Tobi lifted his index finger to reply, but then he sighed. "I'm tryin' to help ya, okay?"

"Appreciated." Zraiko calmly crossed his arms.

Once our group was gathered in front of the door, it opened slowly to reveal the final puzzle.

…

Which...was empty. The entire room was bleak, without a single piece of a puzzle to find.

"A-Am I missing something here?" I looked around. "The room, it's empty."

"Huh, huh, huuuuh?" Tobi scrambled around the room, looking high and low. "T-This isn't supposed to happen, where's the puzzle, nya?"

Weise twiddled his fingers. "Is the puzzle that we have to find it first?"

"No, no, no." Tobi walked back to us. "It should be right here. It's a big, big, big simulative test."

"Simulative test?" Zraiko scratched his chin. "Well, is the problem that it's not loading?"

Tobi nodded. "Yeah...I don't know why the program's gone to funky town, but we can't progress any farther now."

Kyohi gulped. "Are we stuck here?"

"Stuck? Stuck?" Tobi looked around. "We can't be stuck. We can't go back. Forward's the only way."

Weise looked down. "Then, what do we do?"

We were left in an uncomfortable silence.

"You-should-have-expected-this. I-expected-it-after-all."

We looked over to see Monobotto roll over in our direction.

"So-you-want-to-play-a-game-?" The robot tilted its head. "Set-a-new-record-for-how-long-you-can-last-from-a-motive-? Well-your-game-ends-now."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kozaki asked, frowning.

Monobotto swayed from side to side. "I-have-gotten-rid-of-the-puzzle. Now-you-cannot-solve-it. Now-you-cannot-avoid-anything. There-will-be-no-tricks-from-you." It then turned to Tobi. "I-am-quite-disappointed-in-you. You-of-all-people-should-know-how-things-are-supposed-to-go. What-gives-? Do-you-suddenly-change-your-mind-?"

Tobi did not respond.

"So what are you saying?" I asked, feeling my left wrist. "Are you going to leave us trapped here until we die?"

Monobotto hummed. "I-could. But-what-good-would-that-do-me-? I-want-money. I-need-views. Who-would-want-to-watch-you-six-slowly-die?"

Point...sickly taken.

"I-have-devised-an-alternative-to-your-motive." Monobotto calmly spun around. "You-better-listen-well. It's-either-that-or-you're-stuck-!"

Kozaki seemed to be worried. "An...alternative?"

"In-exchange-for-Riko-Hamoizumi's-release…" Monobotto grew cold. "You-can-exchange-the-life-of-the-mastermind-in-this-final-trial."

The mastermind? That's...!

"And if we refuse the trial?" I asked, gulping.

Monobotto tilted its head. "We-will-eliminate-her-for-trespassing-immediately-and-leave-you-all-to-die. Quite-anti-climactic-isn't-it-?"

D...Damn it! Then someone is going to die, no matter what?!

No, no. Don't fall for its tricks. There is no mastermind here. We...We just have to prove it.

"Then...we will hold this final class trial." Zraiko crossed his arms and frowned. "If that will satisfy you."

"Z-Zraiko?" Weise gulped. "B-But, a class trial means…"

"Weise...do you believe in us?" Zraiko asked, in a soft tone. It was probably the first time I had ever heard him speak in this way. "If you do...join us in this trial together, and we'll prove that none of us could be the mastermind."

Weise looked to the side in uncertainty before nodding. "You're right...then we will prove it!"

Kozaki nodded as well. "This game is over. We're going to shut it down, here and now with this last trial. No more deaths. Let's move forward...for Riko, and for everyone else."

We all nodded together.

"Oh-goodie-!" Monobotto hopped up and down. "I-know-the-perfect-place-for-our-trial."

The perfect place?

Monobotto popped out a module with several buttons on them and began to press them in order. The floor then rumbled before it opened up and furniture soon filled the room. The room that was once empty became...a pop-up class trial room.

This new trial room was much different than our usual one. The atmosphere felt less claustrophobic than before. The ceiling was a projection that simulated the endless universe. The ring of podiums was much smaller as well, with only five places to stand, to which the five of us obliged. Around us were fountains, as well as gardens of plants. It felt like such an incredible juxtaposition.

"Hold it, nya!" Tobi frowned. "There are only five podiums, so where am I supposed to go?!"

Monobotto hopped into its spot, a throne made of glass with a velvet cushion resting on it. "Well-you-were-never-supposed-to-be-here. You-should-have-expected-this-much."

"Am I supposed to just stand around all hanky danky while they'll have the most intense trial ever?!" Tobi pouted.

Who's side are you on, again?

Monobotto silently got out of its spot to grab the alleged lab assistant and tie him up with rope around the arms and torso. The robot then tied the rope to a beam on the ceiling and left the interloper to dangle like a Christmas ornament. "Enjoy-the-view."

Tobi angrilly swung his legs. "Hey, hey! I didn't ask for this!"

We all looked at each other in discomfort. On one hand, at least we didn't have to see the portraits of our friends. On the other hand, it became even more apparent just how small our group had become.

We went from sixteen to five. Five of us stand here.

I have a deep sinking feeling that we're about to lose someone else. Despite the fact that my mind was reassuring me everything would be alright, my heart was beating out of my chest, and my gut was twisting. Two thirds of myself were telling me I wasn't ready for this.

But I'm too afraid to listen.

What are all these feelings I'm experiencing? These insecurities, they've never had such a presence in my mind before.

A) Is it because of Kozaki?

B) Is it because of Riko?

C) Is it because of Tobi?

D) Is it because of Fraize?

Maybe it's all of those things. Maybe it's none of them. Whatever the case, I need to get my thoughts sorted out, right away.

Focus. It's time to end this. It's time to go home. I'm fed up with this game of lies.

Monobotto then focused on our group. "A-warm-welcome-to-you-all. I-am-so-thrilled-to-see-you-clowns. I-am-even-more-thrilled-to-see-how-this-will-play-out. Without-further-or-do…" Monobotto hopped up and down. "Let's-begin-!"

 **CLASS TRIAL, START.**

* * *

~ Chapter Six, Daily Life Five, End ~

~ Chapter Six, Class Trial One, Start ~


	39. His Life, Their Pawn Trial 1

I remember the first time I met him. It was the first day of school, in kindergarten. I would say we were six years old at the time, each.

When I met him, he was sitting alone at a table. I took a seat besides him, because I didn't want him to be lonely.

We seemed to get along almost immediately. In just only a week of knowing each other, we wanted to have playdates at each other's homes.

My house was the first house where our playdates took place. I remember how excited he seemed to be. Right when you entered, there was a rock garden with succulents waiting to greet you. Just down a shallow set of steps was the living room, with a couch facing the TV, and an electronic piano sitting in the corner. Just off to the side was the kitchen and dining room, the tables and chairs overlooking the tv from a distance.

We also had a playroom, that being where we would spend most of our time. It was entirely carpeted, with a fireplace at the end of the room. We would get out bins of toys to play with and make stories, and for hours on end we'd be dreaming. Then, we'd eagerly sit at the table while my parents laid out a freshly ordered pizza. Even though Kozaki didn't seem too keen on eating vegetable pizza, he ate it without complaint. He never took anything for granted, and he was always grateful.

The first time I went to his house, I was surprised by how... _rich_ he seemed to be. His house was decorated with such lavish furniture, and his toys and videogames were the most popular at the time.

But that only lasted until…

When his family was slammed into poverty by refusing any more money from his uncle and having to pay that ridiculous medical bill, everything changed. The number of toys and video games became scarce, and his smile became even more rare.

He was scared to be in his own home. Whenever we would have future playdates, he would always want to come to my house instead. Not even just playdates, but sleepovers too. I can only remember two times we had a sleepover in his house. But now, it felt almost like he wanted to be a part of my family.

That wasn't to say he was afraid of his parents. I know they were good people, and that he loved them dearly.

But...his own house felt dangerous to him now. Like if he stayed there any longer, something would kill him.

I remember our meeting in the forest, when we exchanged our gifts with each other. That little string bracelet Kozaki made for me felt like it was made of gold. The pure youth that was still in his heart, it felt like he was sharing that piece of him with me.

And yet in his eyes, something felt distant. Maybe I was too young to realize it at the time, but...maybe I was getting that first glimpse of him before his downwards spiral in mental health.

I wish I could've been there for him. If I had, would things have gotten to that point? Would he have continued to commit arson, would he have tried to end his life?

When I was finally able to reveal myself, I felt like his suffering would finally begin to come to an end. I thought that by being able to return to his life, I would be able to ease his pain. That we could go back to being best friends, and we'd be able to go home.

But...that's not what happened at all. It was almost like by coming back, I had made things worse.

I felt like I wasn't needed anymore. He had new friends to fill the hole in his heart. It was far too late for me to make that positive change I had hoped for.

But I didn't want to let it go, and I feel like he didn't want to either. We wanted to get back to being friends. And yet…

They say that time heals all wounds. I think what happened between us was proof of the opposite.

...

My only hope is we have just a little bit more time left. Just enough time so that we could feel that closeness we did when we were kids, when we were those dreamers who could face the world.

Enough time so that I can save him...

* * *

"We're-going-to-start-this-off-with-an-explanation-of-the-class-trial." Monobotto tilted its head slightly to the side. "After-all. You're-not-looking-for-the-blackened. So-there-are-a-few-new-rules-in-play. But-first. Please-put-on-your-gloves."

I sighed as I slipped on my glove, wiggling my fingers lightly. It always was incredibly uncomfortable for me to wear, and with good reason too.

Once we all had our gloves on, Monobotto hopped up and down while a holographic screen appeared off to the side. "Please-take-a-looksie-!"

I crossed my arms as I read the rules to myself.

 _1\. Neither Tobi nor Monobotto can reveal the mastermind._

 _2\. Neither Tobi nor Monobotto can hint who the mastermind is._

 _3\. The mastermind must be voted for with a unanimous vote._

 _4\. If the mastermind is not voted with a unanimous verdict, everyone else will be executed._

 _5\. If the mastermind is voted for with a unanimous verdict, they alone will be executed and the killing game will end._

 _6\. The hostage will only be released if the mastermind is caught._

 _7\. You can use whatever evidence or truths you've found throughout the entire killing game to help you._

 _8\. Previous rules of the class trial still apply. For example, if you take off your glove, you will receive punishment. Fatal punishment, to be exact._

 _9\. The mastermind cannot run away. If they are caught, they must accept defeat._

 _10\. New rules can be added at any time._

…

It took me some time to process these new rules. They really did seem to imply that one of us could be the mastermind.

But that's ridiculous. After all, Erito Hajimoto is the mastermind of an entire cult organization. As far as I could tell, neither of us would do such a thing.

Okay, okay. I need to close my eyes. I need to think, to breathe, to clear my mind. I can't let anyone tell me what my truth is. I believe in my friends. I believe in Kozaki, Zraiko, Weise, and Kyohi. I know Erito Hajimoto isn't here. I just have to prove it with the others.

"Are-the-rules-clear-?" Monobotto asked as the display vanished.

"Hey, hey, what do I get to do?" Tobi asked, still swinging from the ceiling. "Do I just hang out here?"

"Yes." Monobotto responded, annoyed.

"Hah, hah, hah." Tobi struggled in the ropes for a moment before sighing. "Give me a moment. I'll get out of these ropes. Just you watch me, _ya bucket of bolts!"_

I could feel a faint chuckle slip out from me. Even Tobi started calling Monobotto by that, huh?

Monobotto ignored the alleged lab assistant. "I-do-have-one-more-thing-to-add."

"What's that?" Kyohi asked, rubbing his arms.

"You-might-be-wondering. Where-do-we-even-start-?" Monobotto casually spun around. "I-am-here-to-say. You-must-start-at-the-beginning."

The beginning?

"Aha, well!" Weise pridefully smiled. "I was born in Paris, France to my parents-"

"Not like that, Weise." Zraiko sighed and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. "The tin can probably means...the beginning of this game."

"Oh." Weise looked to the side. "Well, when we all woke up and were brought to that stage-"

"Weise, I think we're looking for before that." Kozaki awkwardly smiled, scratching the back of his head. "Like...the organization behind this? How the cult started?"

"But we don't know anything about that." Kyohi sighed, knocking on his helmet to think.

"I atleast have a starting place to offer." Kozaki sighed. "My uncle."

"Hmm...there was that saying he was second in command. That does imply he plays a significant role in this, right?" Zraiko asked, thoughtfully.

 **How is Haiji Daisuke involved in this?**

"I think this has to do with him being a previous winning blackened, as well as working for _Team Danganronpa."_ I looked to the side. "I can't explain his motive for creating this game when he already had his own success, but...if he worked on other killing games before, maybe he had a reputation of being quite the asset to have."

"Oh, and his talent!" Kyohi raised his hand. "He was, and still is, a psychologist."

"And in the last trial we found out he is studying Kozaki in the game." Weise twiddled his fingers.

"That's right. That gives Kozaki a reason for being here." I replied, though feeling quite discomforted about it. "Maybe from here, we should try to explain why _all of us_ were here."

Zraiko looked to the side. "You mean based on those books?"

"Or other factors as well." I crossed my arms. "For example…"

 **Why am I in this killing game?**

"I'm here because Kozaki is here." I explained, looking back on my kidnapping from what felt like years ago. "Not only because my kidnapper quite literally told me so, but also because we had our connection in our past. It might've been Haiji's idea to bring us together."

"I think so, too." Kozaki looked down. "I can't really trust my memory from before the game at the moment, but I know we grew up together, Mikanne. We were best friends, and my uncle knew that, too."

"Hmm…" Kyohi took some time to think. "Neizami's last name was the same as the protagonist from the same game Kozaki's uncle won. We agreed that's the reason why she was here, right?"

"That's right." Weise nodded. "Yuuta and Soro also shared last names with other people from other killing games."

Zraiko nodded. "And a few others as well. However." He then raised his index finger to pose a question. "What about those who were here who did _not_ share a last name? More specifically, Ingreis, Tikari, Mei, Weise, Kyohi, Riko, Fraize, and myself. Excluding Mikanne and Kozaki, as we already know their story."

Weise puffed his cheeks. "I've got a good guess!"

"Oh?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Let's hear it."

"Because it's _me!"_ Weise nodded, confidently. "I am the Super-Highschool-Level Fashion Designer for a reason! My brand reaches all over the world! I bet everyone knows my name!"

"So what you're saying is…" Kozaki took some time to think. "You were taken because you would be recognized and a lot of people would be viewing for you. That does line up with what your father told you in the loved one's call, right?"

Weise nodded again. "Yes, yes! That must be it!"

"I agree." I felt my left wrist. "I think this also explains Ingreis. Being the athlete that she was and going to all those competitions."

"What about Mei?" Kyohi asked, looking to the side. "Was it because of her being part of a revolution?"

The hacker adjusted his glasses, calmly. "I suppose it's the best answer we have."

"Fraize was here for me…" Kozaki sadly pressed his hands over the locket he was wearing. "He was here to protect me. I still don't understand completely what he was doing in the cult, but it at least explains why he was in the game with us. Well...more specifically, with me…"

"Zraiko, do you have an idea why you're here?" I turned to the hacker.

Zraiko tugged on his tie while glancing to the side. "Well, if I had to guess, it would be because of my connections to the Japanese government."

Connections to the government…

I know someone else who had connections like that.

"Would it be fair to say that you and Tikari could be here for the same reason?" I asked, thoughtfully.

"Tikari?" Weise blinked. "But she didn't have connections to the government, did she?"

"Actually Weise, she did." I nodded.

"Huh?" The young fashion designer tilted his head. "How so?"

 **How was Tikari connected to the government?**

A) She was a member of the government herself.

B) She had a relative involved in the government.

C) She had a friend involved in the government.

If I recall correctly, Tikari _did_ have a relative involved in the government.

 **Who was that relative?**

A) Her mother.

B) Her father.

C) Her brother.

It was her brother. She had mentioned from time to time how she was wondering how his elections were going.

"Tikari's connection comes from her brother." I answered, nodding.

"Mikanne's right." Kozaki nodded as well. "Tikari has an older brother running in an election."

Kyohi raised his hand. "But why would they take Tikari? Just because of that?"

Zraiko nodded. "Think about it. Wouldn't the vote be swayed once it got public that Tikari - a candidate's younger sister - was kidnapped into a killing game?"

"It would be…" I nodded. "I think that actually introduces an interesting fact about the cult, if that's true."

"What's that, Mikanne?" Kozaki asked, looking in my direction.

 **If Tikari's kidnapping was done to sway the election her brother was in, what would the cult be achieving?**

While I cannot explain it with a specific answer, I can answer it generally to make other connections. That being, it shows how the cult is able to manipulate real world politics.

 **Why would the cult manipulate affairs in politics?**

I'm honestly not completely sure how to answer that as of now. It does show they have power over the world, however.

But...why would the cult want that if…

…

I'll keep this in the back of my mind for later.

"By taking Tikari, the cult quite possibly changed whatever the results would have been of that election. This shows an example of the cult having the desire to manipulate politics and relations." I frowned, shaking my head. "I...can't explain fully why they would want to do this. Atleast, not for now. But it does lead me to suspect...the cult is working on something bigger than this killing game."

There was an uneasy silence between our group.

"Let's come back to this once we've finished going over why each of us were brought here." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps I am here for a similar reason to Tikari's. I do not have family members running in an election, but I still do have family members in the government. I mean, even I'm technically employed."

Hmm...I see.

"Wait, but I have a question." Kyohi raised his hand. "What about me, and what about Riko? We don't have those kinds of connections."

That's a good question.

"I'm not sure, to be honest." Kozaki looked to the side. "You guys don't fit the same pattern...so maybe you have your own reason?"

"I think it's worth a debate." Zraiko nodded.

And so, a debate began.

"Hmm...maybe **they have family members who were in the game?"** Weise asked, tilting his head while thinking.

Kyohi shook his head. "No, my family is all from around Africa. I have relatives in Ethiopia, but not from Japan."

"Well, how about **one of those relatives being in the government?"** Kozaki asked, feeling his right arm. **"A more distant relative?"**

Kyohi again shook his head. "No, not as far as I know."

"Even then…" Zraiko scratched his chin. "It's not the same as having a direct family member involved, like Tikari and myself."

"R-Right…" Kozaki crossed his arms to try and think. "Hmm...are you here **just because you're talented?"**

"I don't think that's enough justification." I replied, feeling my left wrist. "So far we've confirmed reasons for the fourteen of us. It doesn't make sense for the last two to just randomly be here."

Kozaki sighed. "Fair...but now, I think I'm out of ideas."

"Well, how about them having **other connections?"** Zraiko proposed.

"Other connections?" Kyohi looked at the hacker. "Like what?"

Zraiko eyed between Kozaki and myself. "Did you know anyone here from before?"

"Nope." Kyohi shrugged. "I've never met any of you guys before."

"What other possible connections could there be?" Weise placed his hands to his hips. **"Maybe there's nothing to connect them at all."**

What other possible connections indeed, Weise.

But...there is one more possibility! That possibility being why Kozaki is here in this game!

 _ **"I agree with you, Zraiko!"**_ I pointed to the hacker.

He seemed to be quite startled. "O-Oh, you do?" He adjusted his glasses. "This is certainly the most...vocal you've been, Mikanne."

"Ah…" I pulled my arm back. "Apologies…"

"Hehe, did I rub off on you, Mik?" Kozaki smiled at me, chuckling lightly.

"Just a bit." I calmly crossed my arms. "Anyways, Zraiko. I believe there is some other connection." I turned to Kyohi. "Is there anyone who exited your life? Who went missing or vanished? Even someone in your family?"

Kyohi quietly took a moment to think. "Well, there was...but **Monobotto said they were murdered."**

 _ **"Hold on a minute!"**_ Kozaki pointed to Kyohi. "You're talking about when Monobotto was answering questions for us, back when Anne, Neizami, and Tikari were still with us. Right?"

Kyohi nodded. "That's right."

Kozaki frowned. "I don't think you can fully believe what that robot told you."

"Nah-uh!" Tobi called out, swinging his legs. "Can't believe that robot for a minute if you're swung up in Faceless!"

Swung up in Faceless…

Kyohi held his left shoulder. "But...why not?"

Kozaki frowned. "Monobotto lied to me that Mikanne was dead. You can see for yourself, he's alive."

Kyohi seemed to be struck with realization. "Gosh, that's true! But, there's no proof that my cousin is alive, is there?"

"And here's that connection." I tapped on my podium. "I think that your cousin...is a member of the cult."

"No way…" The hockey star gulped. "But...what proof is there?"

"Unfortunately, at this time...we can't quite prove it other than your presence in this game." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Same goes for Riko. For now, despite how I dislike having to accept things as truth without evidence, we'll have to go off on that assumption."

Kyohi and Riko, having a relative in the cult…

Even though I don't want to think in this way, maybe it's a reason why they're even still alive now.

I looked back to Tobi for a moment. Swung up in Faceless...could that have been a hint?

* * *

"So now, for the most part, we know why everyone's here." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Where would you like to branch off from here?"

Kozaki scratched the back of his head. "Well, I don't know. We have to prove there isn't a mastermind, right? So...how do we get to that point?"

"Oh, oh!" Weise pridefully pointed to Tobi. "Let's ask!"

"But the rules say Tobi can't hint to the mastermind's identity." Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "If there isn't a mastermind, I think he wouldn't be able to hint to that either."

Tobi sighed and nodded. "Rules are rules, kiddos. But, if you've got any questions not about that, I could answer!"

Monobotto eyed at the interloper, seemingly annoyed.

"Aha!" Weise nodded. "Tell us, Tobi! What does Erito Hajimoto like to eat?"

That...certainly wasn't a question I was expecting.

"Nyah?" Tobi tilted his head. "Master does like to eat the more expensive foods. Mostly because it's hard to come by them, especially out in space now."

"Ah…" Weise puffed his cheeks. "Hnn, hnn...what is Erito Hajimoto's favorite color?"

Tobi looked to the side. "Master's favorite color? I think it's m-"

"Enough." Monobotto interrupted. "You're-walking-on-a-very-thin-line."

"But this isn't hinting to Erito Hajimoto's identity." Kyohi shook his head. "It's just general questions."

"Well-too-bad." Monobotto hummed, annoyed. "I-prohibit-Tobi-from-answering-any-questions-about-Erito-Hajimoto-from-now-on."

Tobi sighed. "So much for my participation."

Zraiko sighed, shaking his head at the young fashion designer. "Thank you for trying to help, Weise. Unfortunately, that help was cut short."

Weise sighed, looking down. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, Weise." Kozaki smiled. "I guess we just have to find some other way to learn more about Erito."

"Before we do that, we need to continue with our timeline up until the beginning of the game." I crossed my arms, thoughtfully.

"Let's go over something we all went through, in that case." Zraiko nodded. "Our kidnappings. Where it all started. Is there anything in common we all experienced?"

Kyohi looked to the side. "It happened to be while I was visiting a graveyard."

Weise twiddled his fingers. "It happened to me at the Eiffel tower."

I crossed my arms. "It happened to me on a train."

Zraiko nodded. "I was on my way back from shopping at a market."

Kozaki looked to the side. "I was alone, in the forest."

"So, all of our locations were certainly different." Zraiko crossed his arms. "What time of day was it?"

"Broad daylight." I replied, recalling what had happened.

"Daylight for me as well." Kyohi nodded.

Weise puffed his cheeks. "Nice and sunny for me."

Kozaki felt his right arm. "Me too, though it was raining a bit."

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "For me it was more towards the early morning. The sun was rising at the time."

Hmm...though I don't think these similarities in particular are helpful.

"What about any people you noticed?" Zraiko inquired. "I was in a crowded market, so it's hard for me to say…"

"There were no other people with me when I was taken." I sighed, shaking my head.

"Mmh, as for myself, I wouldn't know." Weise shook his head. "Tons of people are in Paris. Anyone could've seen me."

Kozaki closed his eyes. "I was with my attorney just before that. But, as for the moment I was taken, nobody else was around."

Kyohi looked to the side. "I did see two other people nearby."

"What did they look like?" Zraiko asked, leaning in. "Did anything stand out?"

The hockey star sighed. "It's been over a year, don't forget. I can't be sure I remember. One of them was taller with...black hair, tied into a ponytail."

"That narrows it down to nobody." The hacker sighed.

"They did stand out to me, though." Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "Do you remember such a man?"

Weise hummed to himself for a moment as he tried to remember. "...There was a man, like that. He was walking with someone shorter than him. The two of them were wearing matching clothing, yes. Formal suits with white roses clipped onto them." He nodded. "I recall their clothing because the roses stood out to me. As a fashion designer and all, yes."

"White roses?" Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "...Hey, wait! The shorter person was carrying a bouquet of flowers when I saw him! Now that I think more about it, they could've been white roses too!"

But how can we tell if this is a connection, and not just a coincidence?

I mean...playing devil's advocate here. Two men, one shorter the other taller. The taller man had black hair tied in a ponytail. Both sightings involved these alleged men carrying white roses.

That's not hard evidence. That's circumstantial at best.

"And you, Zraiko?" The hockey star turned to the hacker.

Zraiko scratched his head for a moment. "...Hmm. There was a man I had bumped into on the way to the market. Same as you describe with the hair and the clothing, and the white rose clip. If I recall correctly...he mentioned needing to hurry on his way to meet a new client."

"A new client?" Kozaki asked, tilting his head. "Did the man mention what it was about?"

Zraiko sighed. "Sorry, I...can't remember it very well. I wish that I could."

"It's not your fault for not remembering." Tobi spoke up. "The program did that on purpose."

"The program?" I asked, looking over to the alleged lab assistant.

Tobi glanced to Monobotto to double check that he wasn't breaking the rules by speaking up. "Yeah, yeah. You've all gone through a bit of a memory blocking process. To hide away what you've seen, especially about Faceless."

"So the reason why we can't remember those two people in particular well is because their identities were redacted in our memories by Faceless?" Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Hmm...but why be so cautious, especially if…" His voice trailed off.

"Huh?" Kyohi turned to the hacker. "Is something wrong?"

Zraiko looked over to me, then back to Tobi. It felt as though it were some kind of signal.

I then turned to face Tobi myself. Examining his face, his eyes. His body language. Tobi looked right back to me, unflinching.

I get it. Tobi is trying to clue me into the truth without breaking Monobotto's rules.

Then, what is that truth? It seems like Zraiko's already figured it out.

Let me think back on what Tobi said before.

 **You've gone through a memory blocking process to hide away what you've seen.**

Why the need to hide what we've seen? Well, I can think of a reason for that.

 **We must have seen members of Faceless.**

But not just any members. After all, given what we've been talking about, I can only assume from here that the members we saw were higher ups. No, not even that. Masterminds.

Well...I say _we_ , but I can't remember seeing anyone at all. Maybe it's because I was so focused on catching the train, I wasn't paying attention.

…

But wait, if we did see the mastermind, _the_ Erito Hajimoto...why erase him from us if he's a member of Faceless, hidden away in the background? Untouchable?

The only thing that makes sense is…

…

 **Erito...is in the game.**

 **Erito...is standing here, right now.**

 **Erito...is one of my friends.**

"Haaah, blue boy, you've gone pale!" Tobi called out to me. "Didja figure something out?"

I gulped, looking around the podium ring. Looking at the faces of my friends.

 **A) Zraiko.**

 **B) Weise.**

 **C) Kozaki.**

 **D) Kyohi.**

One of them is…

N-No, that can't be.

Maybe Erito already died.

No, but...then the game wouldn't have continued. No, it would've had some kind of conclusion. Something would have happened to us.

…

D-Damn it!

"Mikanne, what's wrong?" Weise worriedly held his podium. "Y-You've gotten so quiet…"

I looked back to Zraiko. He slowly nodded to me in return. Turning to the others, I closed my eyes and sighed. "One of us is Erito Hajimoto."

"W-What the hell?!" Kozaki frowned, startled. "Y-You've got to be kidding, Mik! We're here to prove Erito isn't-!"

"Mikanne is right." Zraiko nodded to me. "Think about it, Kozaki. You're good at that. Come on, don't tell me the thought didn't float into your mind."

Kozaki gripped his podium. "...Damn it, then you're saying we don't remember seeing Erito because he's here, in the game?"

"Not just in the game." I held my left wrist and squeezed it. "K-Kozaki...Erito is here, right now. One of us _is_ him."

The former arsonist shook his head, slowly. He didn't say anything in response.

"Nya, I've got just the question to ask." Tobi spoke up, as he continued to dangle from the ropes.

"What-question-?" Monobotto tilted its head to the side. Seems like it was ready to strike if Tobi even spoke a single word out of line.

Tobi turned towards me. "Hey, hey! Blue boy! Does Erito Hajimoto currently exist?"

That question seemed to alarm Monobotto. "You-!"

"I'm not breaking the rules!" Tobi swung his legs at the robot. "I just asked a question, I did!"

And yet, what kind of question is that supposed to be?

"...Back in Mikanne's shift room, several days ago." Kozaki looked up. "Tobi told Riko and I...that one of us was the mastermind. I refused to believe him, at first. Why would I believe him? But...if there's actual proof now, if it really is true…"

"W-What?" Weise shook his head. "No, but that cannot be true! We're all friends, making it through together!"

Kyohi looked down. "T-That's right. If one of us was Erito, why were we all fighting to live together?"

One of us is the mastermind…

 _Does Erito Hajimoto currently exist?_

"...No." I spoke up. "Erito Hajimoto...doesn't currently exist."

"Huh?" The hacker looked over to me.

"The people who currently exist now are myself, Kyohi, Weise, Zraiko, and Kozaki." I crossed my arms. "...Tobi could be saying... _one of us is harboring Erito."_

"But...that can't be right!" Kyohi turned to me. "One of us, hiding away Erito this whole time? As another personality?"

"I don't think Erito is a personality, more so...he is an entity. His own being, and he created a persona to cover for him as a participant in this game." I frowned, looking down. "Whoever has Erito within them...wouldn't even be aware of it."

Silence swept over us.

"Do I...is it me?" Weise began to tear up. "Am I Erito? I'm still alive, but I was the grayed who got Neizami killed. Was that rule there to keep me alive?"

"We'll have to discuss each other, one by one. It's the only way." Zraiko frowned, sighing. "Alright, who has proof for or against Weise?"

"Weise has a lot of money…" Kyohi shook his head. "But he was a Zepto student, along with Kozaki. If they were being studied by Erito, I don't think either of them could be him."

"Hmm, fair point." Zraiko calmly took in a deep breath. "So it's down to myself, you, and Mikanne."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"What about Zraiko?" Kozaki asked, eying at the hacker.

"About me?" Zraiko looked over to Kozaki. "What is your argument?"

"This whole time, you've been contacting for help." Kozaki squinted his eyes. "Hell, I thought you said they were coming before Sayino died! So where are they?! This _help_ that's coming - there is no help, is there? Nobody's coming for us. And you...you could've been lying this whole time about getting us help."

"So you're accusing me of being the mastermind." Zraiko sighed again, maintaining composure. "I'm sorry to say, you've got that wrong, Kozaki."

"How so?" Kozaki pressed his hands onto the podium and leaned forward. "Are you going to say Mikanne was with you every step of the way? Are you going to say you have _evidence_ that confirms people are coming? You were cooped up in your Shift Room for so long, I think I have every right to find you suspicious. I mean - hell, where were _you_ when Riko and I went to the lab?"

"I was at the auditorium." Zraiko glanced at Monobotto. "Because Riko told me that the tin can was there, fuming."

But that response didn't satisfy Kozaki. "If you were the mastermind, Monobotto would cover for you. You say that you were in the auditorium, but if nobody else saw you there, there's no proof."

Zraiko remained calm. "Then how can I prove to you my innocence, Kozaki? I sincerely hope that you're not just trying to pin this on me."

The former arsonist shook his head. "I don't want you to be the mastermind, Zraiko. I don't want any of us to be. We're all friends, damn it…I want to be wrong. So, please. Zraiko, please...refute me."

Something about what Kozaki said…

It didn't feel _right_. It didn't feel like Kozaki.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about it felt…

 _Artificial._

"I do have one thing." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Were you aware of an individual under the alias of Fifty-Three?"

Fifty-Three…? A person who goes by a number, and both Zraiko and Kozaki knew about them?

The hacker did mention to me they were able to successfully contact someone. Was this that person?

Kozaki looked to the side. "...Yes. Up until a while ago, they would sometimes send me messages to my Bottolet. Even give me advice. Why?"

"Did they tell you?" Zraiko leaned in. "About how they were coming?"

Kozaki slowly nodded. "They did."

Zraiko relaxed himself. "Did they tell you about me?"

Kozaki nodded again. "They did. They told me you were able to send them enough information to find us."

Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "I rest my case then."

"Wait, wait, I don't get it." Kyohi raised a hand. "Fifty...who? Who's this person that you're talking about?"

Zraiko took a moment to bring us up to speed. This anonymous person was a part of the rescue effort. According to Kozaki...they've become unreachable.

"That leads me to only one conclusion." Zraiko sighed. "Something went wrong. Maybe they were captured, or worse? We've lost contact with them. We can only hope they're alright."

Kozaki closed his eyes. "Alright. There seems to be proof in what you spent all your time doing. Though, I wouldn't say that's the only possible conclusion."

Weise tilted his head "Why so? What Zraiko says makes sense, no?"

Kozaki crossed his arms to think. "What if it was a trap? That the cultists were creating a false sense of hope in all of us?"

Zraiko looked up. "Hmm...I concur that this may have been possible. But we don't have solid evidence to credit or discredit either theory."

"Which in turn means there isn't solid evidence to credit or discredit you." Kozaki bit his lip. "Unless you have anything else to offer, that is."

The hacker adjusted his glasses. "Hmm...I will defend myself once you have new evidence to question me about."

The former arsonist sighed and nodded. "Fair point."

* * *

"What about Mikanne?" Weise asked, gulping. "It's not him, is it?"

I looked to the side, shaking my head. "Sorry, Weise. I'd like to say it's not me, but I have no way of knowing Erito is within me."

"It can't be Mikanne anyways." Kozaki shook his head. "Because he's here because of me. That's the only reason."

"...Wait, but that just leaves Kyohi!" Weise gasped. "K-Kyohi can't be the mastermind! He's nice, helpful, and also is very respectful."

"That could just be his persona." Zraiko crossed his arms.

"G-Gosh, you have a point." Kyohi nervously knocked on his helmet. "It doesn't help that my cousin could be involved with Faceless, too…"

"I think what we really need here is a debate." I spoke up. "And in that debate, we all need to defend ourselves. It's...the only way."

Reluctantly, we started our debate.

"My case still stands. I spent days upon end trying to reach help." Zraiko tugged on his tie. " **I am not the mastermind."**

"Are you completely sure you weren't lying?" Kyohi asked, feeling his left shoulder. "You're also super smart. You have the brains to pull it off, Zraiko. **I think you are the mastermind."**

"Kyohi, you just might be here because you have a relative in Faceless. I think it's fair for me to believe **you are the mastermind."** Zraiko replied.

"But it's only a theory, not fact!" Kyohi nodded. "And if that's the only thing that connects me, **I am not the mastermind."**

"Alright. Kozaki, you also have that connection to your uncle." Zraiko turned to the former arsonist. "And given how it's been established how high-ranking your uncle is in Faceless, **could you be the mastermind?"**

Kozaki looked away for a moment. "I don't know, Zraiko...I've been Erito's experiment this whole time…"

 **"Kozaki is not the mastermind!"** Weise stepped up. **"And neither am I! We are Zepto students!"**

The hacker thought about it for a moment. "But you do have the money to pull this off, Weise. **You could be the mastermind."**

Weise puffed his cheeks and frowned. "Am not! What about Mikanne?! He was hiding his identity for so long! **It could be him!"**

"I'm sorry, I was forced to hide my identity from all of you." I looked down. "But, I'd like to believe I'm not the mastermind. **I'd like to believe that none of us are."**

One moment it looks like things are making sense and falling into place, the next moment they all just fall apart. None of the evidence is holding together, there isn't any place for them to lead us to.

We contradict ourselves over and over. Nothing can point to any one of us.

 _ **"Just one second!"**_

I looked over in Kozaki's direction. He was pointing in my direction before he pulled his hand back.

"I think...maybe I finally get it." He looked down. "I understand, now. It's finally all clicked for me. The mastermind, Erito...I think I know who he is."

"Oh?" Weise smiled, bouncing lightly. "That's great! Then we can end the trial!"

"Who do you think he is, Kozaki?" Kyohi asked, looking to hear what the former arsonist had to say.

He looked to the side. "This whole time, I've looked everywhere. I looked at you guys. I looked at the cultists. I looked all over. And yet...Erito Hajimoto couldn't ever be found."

"So...what's your point?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms.

Kozaki didn't answer immediately.

"Kozaki?" The hockey player asked, worriedly. "What's the matter?"

Kozaki shook his head before smiling. He chuckled, as though not having any single worry for the severe meaning behind his next sentence. "I realize it now. The one person I never thought to look at. _Myself."_

Silence.

"At...yourself?" I frowned. "H-Hey, Zaki! Do you even realize what you just said?!"

He turned to me, still holding up his smile. "I-I do, Mik. I'm saying...exactly that."

"Exactly...what?" The fashion designer wasn't catching on.

"Think about it, Mik." Kozaki focused on me. "Who has all the connections here? Who has a family member directly involved in this, and in such a high ranking, too? Who has connections to all of you? All those sightings moments before you were kidnapped?" His smile wavered, he was trying his best to keep up a positive face. "I didn't see that man, and I didn't see any white roses either. I have no excuse not to see him. I was alone in the forest, I would have known if he was there. And the same goes for that second person, too. Of course I wouldn't see him spying on me...if he and I were the same person."

"T-That's…" I tried to think of something to say.

"Mik...the paper that Fraize gave you. Open it for me, please."

The paper?

...The torn out paper from the book Mei asked for. The one that held the greatest truth of our killing game.

I slowly dug into my pockets and pulled it out. Fraize's words echoed in my mind, _you'll know when you'll need this._

…

I slowly unfolded the slip, skipping over paragraphs of text as my eyes were drawn to the final line printed in bold text.

The truth...was as clear as day.

 **Erito Zoukau-Shikidakou Hajimoto's other name is Kozaki Hotamoujou-Hiroti Daisuke.**

These two names...were made up of exactly the same set of letters. Each name could be broken down and rearranged to form the other one.

…

N...No…!

"Mik…" He whispered, tearing up lightly while smiling even still. "Please...tell me what the paper says. I'm right...aren't I?"

I watched as teardrops splattered onto the paper as it shook. My own teardrops.

No, no...no...no, no…!

The other three were watching us in silence. Zraiko seemed to know exactly what was going on. He took off his glasses and even punched his podium.

Weise and Kyohi didn't seem to realize it. They watched, their faces both carrying anxiety.

"Mik, please…" Zaki forced his biggest, fakest smile I've ever seen. "Won't you...please tell me…?"

…

 **Select a suspect.**

* * *

I couldn't look at him. I couldn't look at him, or the navy blue ring that now surrounded him.

I was trying so hard to find something that proved me wrong. But...everything snapped into place.

"W-What?" Weise looked over to me. "M-Mikanne, what are you…?"

I took in a deep, shaking, heavy breath. "Kozaki's name and Erito's name can be reconstructed to form each other. Erito's other name is Kozaki's name. That is what the paper has written. That was Mei's motive to kill him."

"Erito's other name…?!" Weise asked, I suppose it was just starting to hit him.

"It means…" Zraiko sighed. "Kozaki is the mastermind."

A short silence.

"How is that even possible?" Kyohi asked, averting his eyes. "I-I mean, come on guys! This is Kozaki. E-Erito is nothing like him. Erito caused this whole killing game, and founded a huge cult...and you're telling me the very same person who did all that is _Kozaki?!"_

A short silence.

"I won't believe it. I won't believe you!" Weise yelled out, it was clear he was deeply upset. "Kozaki promised me! He promised he would be there for me! That's not something an evil person would do!"

I had never seen Weise so worked up like this. I wasn't sure how to respond to him at all.

"I'll... I'll put an end to your ridiculous claim!" Weise pointed at me. "We shall cross swords, Mikanne!"

"Wrong minigame." Tobi muttered. "We do quick draws here."

"Well fine!" Weise shook his head. "Either way, I'll prove that Kozaki is innocent!"

The former arsonist was silent. That look in his eyes…

That empty, lifeless look...

"Fine." I nodded. "I'll do battle with you, Weise."

And so, we faced off in a truth bullet quick draw.

 **Who is Kozaki's uncle?**

Kozaki's uncle is Haiji Daisuke. The winning blackened from season 38. A staff member of Team Danganronpa.

 **What was Haiji Daisuke's talent?**

He was the Super-Highschool-Level Psychologist.

 **Why is Kozaki in this killing game?**

Kozaki is in this killing game because of his ties to his uncle. Because his uncle wanted to study him.

 **Why was Kozaki a Zepto student?**

This was because he had dropped out of highschool. The title of Super-Highschool-Level was a complete contradiction to him.

 **What was the goal of the Zepto students?**

The goal was for the five of them to complete a final puzzle and survive. They would become something more. They would become Elite-Levels, like Tobi.

 **Wasn't Erito Hajimoto already an Elite-Level then?**

He would have been. This could've been Erito's way of guaranteeing his survival. Even though he laid dormant inside of Kozaki, he still had an insurance plan to make sure he would survive.

 **What connects Kozaki Daisuke and Erito Hajimoto?**

Not only did his uncle use that name during season 38, everyone in Faceless is said to be an Erito. And lastly... Kozaki's name and Erito's name can be broken down to construct the other. That can't be just a coincidence. It had to have been intentional!

 **What were they doing to Kozaki in the labs?**

The only thing that makes sense...is that they were swapping Kozaki out with Erito! That's why Kozaki could never remember clearly what happened in the labs! Because he literally wasn't there to remember those events!

 _ **"I've got it!"**_

Weise silently looked to the floor as he ran out of life point. He looked like he still had a fight left in him, that he still refused to believe me.

"Weise, I…" I squeezed my left wrist. "I don't want to believe it either. But everything makes sense this way. Everything that's been happening to us, everything that's been happening to Kozaki. Erito has sealed himself away, inside of Kozaki. That's the truth."

Weise sniffled, trying to wipe his face to hide his tears. "W-Why? Why would...Why would Kozaki be Erito? Why would Kozaki want this killing game? It makes no sense...he's not a monster... he's…"

Silence swept over us.

"I wish I could answer you all." Kozaki looked down as he spoke up, still trying to maintain his smile. "You all deserve to know the truth, but I can't give it to you. I don't remember any of this. Isn't that so...pathetic?" He chuckled. "There were so many warning signs I never picked up on. My broken memories, my dreams, my delusions…" He then sighed. "And Fraize, who had the role to protect me. Because if I died, the game would be over. Isn't that right? He had to protect his _master."_

That sent shivers down my spine.

"And you…" Kozaki turned to Monobotto. "You even called me master before. Why didn't I pick up on it? Why didn't I realize it?! And you, Tobi! That's why you wanted to come here! Why you wanted to get close to me! It wasn't just to deliver me, it was so you could see your master again!"

Neither of them responded.

Kozaki began to laugh. "I get it now, damn it! It makes sense, it all does! Erito's experiment is me! I am my experiment! I turned myself into this _**protagonist**_ that people would root for! I...I was the monster all along! _**Isn't that just so ironic?!"**_

"K-Kozaki, stop talking like this!" Weise tried to speak up. "This isn't like you!"

Kozaki shook his head. "Then what is? I'm just an experiment. _**I'm not even a real person!**_ I'm a mask that Erito wears! A mask to deceive all of you!"

"Then prove it!" Weise challenged him. "Make Erito come out right now!"

Kozaki calmed down and sighed. "I can't, Weise. I can't control him, but he controls me."

A short silence.

"There's...a monster, inside me." Kozaki gripped his podium, shaking. "All this time, why didn't I realize it sooner? Why Erito was in my dreams...hell, the closest I had ever gotten to seeing him _was when I saw my own reflection_." He felt his face. "No, Erito isn't someone else...he is me. I am Erito...I am a monster…!"

"That's not true!" Weise insisted. "You are Kozaki! Our friend who fought so hard to keep us alive, to keep us going!"

"Don't you get it, Weise?!" Kozaki yelled out, he was on the verge of breaking down. "None of you would be here if it wasn't for me! I made this game, and I don't even remember _why!_ Was it for fun?! Did I want to make innocent people _suffer for my own entertainment?!"_

Weise seemed to be shaken up pretty badly by that. "D-Don't say that, my friend. There's got to be some kind of-!"

 _ **"I am not your friend!"**_ Kozaki snapped. "I'm a horrible person! Look what I did to you all! To everyone! All the victims, the killers, they're all dead because of me! You should hate me, Weise! You could've been by your mother's side while she was _dying,_ but I took that away from you! I split up everyone's families! I've caused so much anguish and hatred! Hate me, Weise! _**Hate me, like I deserve!"**_

Weise bit his lip as he began to tear up.

There was yet another silence swept out through the room. You could cut the tension with a knife.

I closed my eyes to try and clear my head. There had to be something, just _something_ out there. A way to change this.

…

 _Is Erito Hajimoto here now?_

I opened my eyes, slowly.

That question...I had overlooked it earlier. But now...I think I'm starting to realize what it really meant.

"...Kozaki." I frowned, pointing to him. "I'm going to prove it."

Kozaki looked over to me, flabbergasted.

"I'm going to prove…" I raised my voice. "That you and Erito Hajimoto are not the same!"

Kozaki frowned. "Mikanne, what the hell are you talking about?! The evidence is there! You just fought over it!"

But I refused to back down. "I won't deny the evidence. However, deep down inside...I know that Erito isn't _you._ You are Kozaki. Kozaki Hotamoujou-Hiroti Daisuke! My friend! You are you, and I'm going to prove it!"

He didn't know how to respond.

"I hope you are prepared." I closed my eyes. "Because I'm going to fight with everything I have."

It's the only chance I have...to save you.

If I can just prove that deep down inside, you're not Erito. If I can just prove that deep down inside, you are a real person...I can save you!

As long as Kozaki and Erito are two different people, _I can..._ _ **I will save you!**_

* * *

~ Chapter Six, Class Trial Part One, End ~


	40. His Life, Their Pawn Trial 2

"What-a-crazy-turn-of-events-!" Monobotto seemed to be excited. "I-am-at-the-edge-of-my-seat-!"

"I would be, too." Tobi muttered. "If I wasn't dangling from the ceiling, that is. I sure could use a nice seat right about now."

"It's-a-good-thing-you-don't-matter-here-!" Monobotto hopping without a care in the world.

Tobi rolled his eyes in response.

"Wait, wait…" Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "Mikanne, you just argued how Kozaki and Erito were the same. Now you're saying they aren't?"

I closed my eyes and nodded. "I won't deny the evidence. Kozaki and Erito share the same body. However!" I opened my eyes and frowned. "They do not share the same mind, nor do they share the same spirit. Kozaki, you say that you're a mask, a _shell_ of a person. However…" I pointed in his direction. "You've got it wrong!"

Kozaki stared at me in silence. For a moment, I thought he would burst into laughter and call me an idiot. Much like how he broke down earlier. However, he didn't. He almost seemed to be scared.

…

I think I know why. He's scared because our lives are on the line here. Scared that if we don't vote for him, we'll be wrong. We'll be executed. Even Riko will be killed.

I get it, what he's thinking. And it doesn't help that no matter what, the class trial system is set in a way where evidence is everything. Where you've seen someone walking by, the things they've touched, evidence has always been defined - not theoretical. In that sense, Kozaki will always be the Mastermind, no matter what.

…

I can't prove him otherwise. Atleast, not physically. He's right, that both himself and Erito share the same body. But I know, feel down inside, they do not share the same mind. I know that Kozaki would never want this killing game, nor would he want to go through with his experiment or bring despair upon others.

I just...I don't have a way to physically prove it. What I have to work with has happened in the past, and Kozaki's fragmented memories certainly will make things more difficult to handle. Most of what I have to work with is theory.

And that's where I am in trouble. If I can't absolutely prove without a doubt Kozaki and Erito do not share the same mind, the cultists win. I can't let that happen.

But how? How am I to win in this unbeatable, rigged trial?

…

That's it.

In order to save Kozaki, I have to stop playing by the rules of this game. This class trial...I'm not going to use it.

Enough of the truth bullets and the minigames. Enough of the debates and my friends going against each other.

I'm going to save Kozaki, and I'll do it my way.

Zraiko scratched his chin. "So it's a matter of proving they are two different people. That way, voting for Kozaki as the mastermind would be wrong."

I nodded to the hacker. "That's right."

"Oh, oh!" Weise chimed in. "Why don't we start with Kozaki's memories?"

Kozaki's memories...yes. Trying to sort out what memories are real or fake should help clear things out, right?

"Good thinking, Weise." I turned back to the former arsonist. "Kozaki, tell me when you first became unsure over the validity of your memory. Is there...a first memory that comes to mind that feels out of place?"

Kozaki looked away. He remained silent before slowly turning back to me. "When I jumped off…"

I didn't bother to press into what he meant. It was clear to me he was alluding to his attempt on his life.

"And how is it that the memories from around that time bother you?" Zraiko asked, crossing his arms.

"It feels like each time I think back on it, I remember things differently." Kozaki felt his head. "Even just waking up. Was my mom with me? My dad? My attorney? Doctors, even someone else? It changes. Every time, it felt like someone else was standing next to me. And yet…"

Kyohi worriedly felt his left shoulder. "Well...maybe instead of looking at differences, we look at similarities?"

"How so?" Kozaki asked, tilting his head.

"Some kind of motif?" Kyohi nodded. "Something you saw that made such an impact on you, it's never changed in your memories."

Kozaki felt at his head some more, shutting his eyes. I was worried for a moment that he would shut down from trying to figure it out.

Looks like it's up to me to carefully pick out the answer from him.

"Hey, Kozaki." I smiled at him, reassuringly. "Try to relax, okay? Pretend that nobody else is here, and it's just the two of us."

Kozaki slowly began to breathe, calmly.

I might not be able to jump into his mind to see his memories, but I can still try to help him through this.

 **Step One: Focus on the Scene.**

"Kozaki, try to focus on your environment." I crossed my arms as I began to concentrate. "The room you woke up in, the way it felt to be there."

"...It was dark." He spoke up, softly. "It was hard to see things clearly. There was the wall, next to me. It had little paintings of butterflies on it. Around me was a curtain, with blue and white stripes. The bed was warm, with soft grey blankets resting on top of me. I stared upwards aimlessly, looking at the ceiling to see paintings of stars."

 **Step Two: Focus on Himself.**

"Now that you've described the room...how were you feeling?" I pressed for more information. "Did you notice anything about yourself?"

Kozaki let out a short sigh. "I remember...it was hard to keep my eyes open. I was so tired, I wanted to go back to sleep despite just waking up. My body ached, I didn't want to move. I think...after some time, **I began to feel scared."**

I decided it would be important to save that bit of I formation for later.

 **Step Three: Focus on a Change**

"Did something soon change about the place you were in?" I asked, thinking on how to continue. "Did you move somewhere, for example?"

Kozaki looked to the side. "I'm not sure. I think... **someone picked me up."**

 **Does it connect?**

Kozaki began to feel scared after some time, and he could feel someone was picking him up. Could it be that this fear was caused because of that?

I think I need more information. Maybe the **person** who picked him up is what's really causing this fear.

 **Step Four: Focus on their Clothes.**

"Kozaki, when you say someone picked you up, what were they wearing?" I began to push in the direction of uncovering the identity of this person.

He turned back to me. "They were wearing...casual clothes. A shirt, khakis…"

"Did anything stand out about what they were wearing?" I tried to press a little further.

He felt at his head. "Ghh...there was...there was a…"

It looks like Kozaki is having difficulty in telling me what he saw. Let's see if there's a way I can break through.

 **Mind Picking, Begin!**

"That thing you saw, was it a symbol?" I pressed more. "Something you'd be able to recognize.

"No, no it wasn't." He replied, still feeling his head.

"Wasn't at least something you've seen before?" I took some time to think about it.

"Yes. I've seen it before…" Kozaki squeezed his eyes shut. **"That white color…"**

It was something white…

"And when you saw it, where was it?" I tried to find more things to connect.

"It was on... **his shirt."**

His shirt. So the person who picked up Kozaki was a male.

His shirt, something white...

I need one more piece to make a solid connection.

"Kozaki, what was that white thing you saw?" I pressed again.

"It was…" Kozaki looked up. **"...It smelled sweet."**

Something white on a man's shirt that smelled sweet…

 **Does it connect?**

…

Yes, it does. We've discussed earlier about how in Weise's, Kyohi's, and Zraiko's kidnapping, a certain man was around with **white roses.**

 **Breakthrough!**

"Kozaki, I think I know the identity of the person who picked you up when you first woke in the hospital." I frowned. "Your uncle, Haiji Daisuke."

"My...uncle?" He looked up, seemingly afraid.

 **Final Connection!**

Kozaki felt afraid when his uncle picked him up. He had every reason to feel afraid, too. Someone who had supposedly vanished from his life for many years after all the abuse he endured because of this person...of course he would feel afraid!

"Kozaki, that was the first time you saw your uncle in years, wasn't it?" I looked to the side. "You were afraid, afraid of why he was there. Afraid of why he was the first person you saw when you woke up. Afraid of...what he intended to do."

Kozaki bit his lip and looked down.

"Is there...anything else you can remember?" I tried to press just a little more.

Kozaki shook his head. "It's blank...I can't remember anything more. It's like everything disappeared."

Could that have been...the first time he became Erito?

Now then, the real issue is presented to us. Did Haiji somehow artificially create Erito, or did Kozaki truly become him?

We've got to keep going.

"I believe another memory worth investigating is the memory Kozaki had from before waking up in this place." Zraiko crossed his arms.

"When he was kidnapped?" Weise asked, tilting his head.

I nodded to the young fashion designer. "Exactly that." I then turned to Kozaki. "When you were kidnapped from the forest, what do you remember?"

Kozaki closed his eyes to concentrate. "I remember...it was raining. It was just after I left Attorney Stevenson's office, where I went to the ruins of the cave accident. While I was looking for my flamethrower...they grabbed me, and took me away."

"Is there anything about this memory you find strange?" I leaned in.

"Not particularly." He shook his head. "It's small details I may or may not be sure about. Such as...not knowing if I had really seen a chipmunk in the bushes, or if there was a bee that was almost too close to me."

Kyohi tilted his head. "I think Kozaki is confident in this memory, right? More than the one Mikanne was just piecing together."

Weise hopped a little. "Then, does that mean this is a true memory?"

Hmm...

"I have a theory about this." I nodded. "One that if found true, could further explain other memories as well."

"What's your theory, Mikanne?" Zraiko asked me, patiently.

"I believe this memory Kozaki has...really did happen." I looked to the side. "That this memory occurred during a point where Erito was not, well...shall we say, in control? From that logic, I am willing to bet that Erito and Kozaki have their own memories that are separate from each other."

"That's...That's impossible." Kozaki frowned, becoming slightly defensive. "Mikanne, we can't have our own memories. **We have the same memories, because we are the same person."**

I frowned in return, shaking my head. "No, Kozaki. Here's why."

 **Memory Picking, Start!**

I know I've seen for myself first hand instances that contradict what Kozaki just said.

If I can come up with enough examples, that should be enough to convince him!

 **Memory One: Zepto Affairs**

A) Kozaki can't remember who the other Zepto students are.

B) Kozaki can't remember the purpose of the Zepto project.

C) Kozaki can't remember why he is a Zepto Student.

 **Kozaki can't remember the purpose of the project. If Erito is the one who organized it, and Kozaki is Erito, Kozaki would know why the project exists. Not from being told what it's about, but from being the one to create it.**

"First thing!" I confidently pointed to Kozaki. "You don't know why Project Zepto exists! All you know is that the students would become something more, but that doesn't explain the true purpose of the project!"

Kozaki frowned and glanced to the side. "W-Well…"

 **Memory Two: Arriving in the Middle of the Fifth Trial**

A) Kozaki can't remember who killed Mei.

B) Kozaki can't remember why Monobotto took him away to the labs.

C) Kozaki can't remember what happened to him in the labs.

 **Kozaki can't remember what happened to him in the labs. He stumbled out of the elevator, struggling to even walk properly. I even asked him to tell us what happened, but he couldn't.**

"Next thing!" I crossed my arms, focusing. "When you appeared from the elevator during the fifth trial. I asked you, what happened to you? You couldn't answer me. **Your eyes even kept switching colors…"**

Kozaki gulped, looking to the floor. "My eyes…"

 **Breakthrough!**

That's right! Kozaki's eyes kept changing colors for a short moment. And that's not the first time Kozaki's eyes changed colors like this.

 **Memory Three: Eye Color**

A) Kozaki's eyes changed color because he put on contacts.

B) Kozaki's eyes changed color because it's something he could naturally do.

C) Kozaki's eyes changed color to signal that Erito had been present in his mind.

 **The only thing that makes sense to me is that Erito's eyes are that golden color. That's why there were instances where Kozaki would leave the labs and have his eyes be gold for a short amount of time. Kozaki must have recently returned to consciousness.**

"Kozaki. Your eyes would sometimes be gold after leaving the labs. I believe this is because you were just returning to consciousness." I nodded. "And that prior to that, Erito was in control of your mind."

"But...But a person's eyes don't just change color like that!" Kozaki pushed back. "It's not natural!"

He's right. It's not natural at all.

He continued to push back further with his own memories. As he did, I tried to refute him.

 **Push Back, Begin!**

"If we're looking at all of my memories, I know for a fact I have lost memories that Erito wouldn't even have either!" Kozaki frowned. "First thing, my entire childhood was **fabricated in my mind by my uncle.** I remembered growing up in a completely different state, and in a completely different environment!"

"While that is certainly true, Erito wouldn't have even existed in your childhood at all." I shook my head. "He must've come to be after your uncle found you in the hospital."

"I can't remember what happened to me in the hospital. **My uncle also is the reason behind this!"** Kozaki frowned. "He must've taken these memories away from me, the memories that showed me why I became Erito!"

"I don't doubt that your uncle had something to do with this." I leaned in. "However, I believe this is the first time Erito appeared!"

 **"Are you saying that I woke up as Erito?!"** Kozaki gritted his teeth.

"...Yes, I am." I sighed. "And here's why."

 **Connect the Dots!**

Kozaki's uncle heavily manipulated his memories.

Who's to say that only began in the killing game? Who's to say his uncle didn't manipulate him right from the beginning of all of this?

Right from the moment he woke up in the hospital.

 _ **"Here's my answer!"**_ I closed my eyes, frowning. "Kozaki, your uncle turned you into Erito Hajimoto. He already has shown how he could manipulate your own memories. Hell, we had an entire motive where our memories started breaking apart. Your uncle, who used to experiment on your mind when you were young. He's even continuing his experimenting now. And as for how? Somehow, he found you when you were at your weakest point. He somehow...created Erito, and poisoned your mind. And while I can't physically prove it now…" I looked up. "I know it has to be the truth. Because...please, answer me honestly…"

Kozaki silently looked over to me.

 **Final Memory: The Killing Game**

"Why…" I could feel my throat squeeze, lightly. "Why would you want this killing game? Why would you want to cause so many people so much suffering?"

He didn't respond.

"This...This isn't _you_ , Kozaki." I looked him in the eyes. "Deep down inside, you'd never want this. I know you wouldn't. And the fact that you don't want this killing game at all, it's been proven. Time after time...trial after trial. You've fought so hard to get here with us. To survive. You don't want this game, but Erito - the mastermind - does."

Kozaki covered his face as he began to shake.

 _ **"Kozaki...the mastermind of this killing game...can't be you!"**_

* * *

The entire trial room was silent for a moment. I turned to look at the rest of my friends, to see if I could tell what they were thinking.

It seemed as though they believed my theory. And yet...

"...It doesn't make a difference."

I looked back over to Kozaki. "What are you talking about?"

"I said…" Kozaki uncovered his face. "It doesn't make a difference. Whether or not Erito's mind and mine are different. We still have the same body. And at the end of the day…" He looked to the floor. "It was this body…" He slowly looked at his hands, staring at them intensely. "This body of mine that did so many horrible things. This body of mine that created this game, that put you all in it. This body of mine...that killed our friends."

I was growing frustrated. After everything...he still was adamant that he was the mastermind. "But why-?!"

Zraiko raised his hand and cut me off as he began to speak. "But why do you say sharing the same body makes you the mastermind, Kozaki? This killing game, it's not what you want."

Kozaki quietly looked over to Monobotto and Tobi. "Because we all have to vote, remember?"

Tobi nodded. "Yeaaaah, that's the big obstacle for Mikanne's theory. A compelling theory, but one that might have little meaning considering the limitations of the vote."

"What?" I asked, frowning and tilting my head.

"Well, think about it." Tobi was able to finally wiggle his arms free, then doing some hand motions. "For every case, you've only been able to vote for someone amongst your group. The sixteen of you. There is no option to vote for Erito Hajimoto. However...voting for Number One, Kozaki Daisuke, can be done."

Shit…!

"Don't you get it, now?" Kozaki looked back over to me. "Mikanne...I don't _want_ to be the mastermind. Of course I don't! It means all of this is my fault! It means I've done horrible things, and yet I can't even remember them! But...But I have to be. You have to vote for me. Please…"

I shook my head. "Vote for you...that's like asking me to kill you, Zaki...you'll be executed if we all vote for you."

Kozaki took in a heavy, shaking breath. "I know."

"I can't...I can't just sentence you to your death like that!" I turned away, feeling sick to my stomach. "We're... We're best friends, and you're telling me to give up on you? You're telling me to let you die?!"

"Mik…" Kozaki bit his lip, his voice shaking.

"I...I can't do it." I shook my head. "I can't let you die. Not when you're innocent! You're not a monster!"

Silence again.

"Are you sure...there isn't something we can do?" Weise spoke up, softly. "A way to save Kozaki?"

"If Kozaki is truly recognized as the mastermind here…" Zraiko frowned and adjusted his glasses. "If one person doesn't vote for him, he wins. As for us, we'll all be executed. Even Riko will be killed."

"But if we all vote for Kozaki... he'll be executed." Kyohi shook his head. "And I believe in Kozaki. I can't vote for him. It's like sending an innocent person to their death."

"I'm not innocent…this killing game would've never happened without me. Our friends would still be alive. They wouldn't have suffered. We wouldn't be suffering now." Kozaki pushed back. "I'm telling you, you all have to vote for me."

I get it now. Kozaki is trying to make it emotionally easier for us to vote for him by antagonizing himself.

But even still, I don't want to vote for him…

"Hey, hey."

I looked over to see the lab cat wiggle out of his ropes. He plopped to the floor before brushing off his clothes and stretching. "Ah, much better…" He then tilted his head while looking in my direction. "Hey, blue boy. Sure, you've got sixteen students to pick from in your vote. But that doesn't mean it's the be-all-end-all. After all, that's why there were rules made about it."

Another clue from Tobi…

"Get-back-in-the-ropes." Monobotto commanded the alleged lab assistant.

Tobi squinted his eyes as he took a seat on the floor, casually dumping the ropes onto his lap.

"Since-you-all-seem-to-be-worked-up-about-votes…" Monobotto hopped in excitement. "I-think-nothing-would-be-more-appropriate-than-commencing-the-voting-time-!"

Wait...N-Now?!

"We can't vote yet!" Weise protested.

"Sure-you-can. What-more-is-there-to-debate-?" Monobotto tilted its head.

That robot...it must be rushing the vote on purpose. Maybe...it's trying to stop us from uncovering more of the truth.

"No, there is still something left to debate." Zraiko calmly tried to buy us some time. "You see...Mikanne has one more _very important thing_ that he wants to be addressed." He looked over to me. "Isn't that right?"

 **One more very important thing to address…**

A) What his favorite part of the killing game was.

B) His ability to command Monobotto.

C) Is Erito's favorite food also macaroni and cheese.

"Kozaki...I have one more question for you." I looked back over to the former arsonist. "Have you ever commanded Monobotto before? Have you noticed instances of it taking orders from you?"

Kozaki looked to the side. "Well...I'm not sure. It referred to me as master once before, even though I thought it was to insult me. There was also the other time when I told it not to kill Weise over a broken rule, but it probably only did that because Monobotto had also broken a rule prior, so it was even."

"But what about you commanding it without there being some excuse?" I leaned in. "An actual instance where it _abided by your command."_

Kozaki bit his lip. "I...can't say that's ever happened."

…

That's it.

That has to be the final piece to this!

"Kozaki...you are not the mastermind then." I frowned, pointing to Monobotto. "Because Monobotto has stated before that it only takes commands from Erito Hajimoto! If Monobotto has never abided by a single one of your commands, then how could you be him?! This is clear proof that Monobotto does not recognize you as Erito Hajimoto!"

"But Mikanne, that...that still doesn't change how you can't vote for Erito." He looked down. "I know that you're trying to save me." It looked as though he was beginning to tear up. "But, the vote…"

"Kozaki...please." I closed my eyes. "I know that you're scared. I know that you feel like you have no way out. But...I'm fighting _for you._ I'm doing this _for you._ Please…" I opened my eyes, looking at him directly. It felt as though we were the only two people in the entire trial room. "Believe me."

Kozaki looked away, as though he was uncertain of how to continue.

"Well-then. Shall-we-now-begin-the-vote-?" Monobotto hopped, excitedly.

Kozaki's eyes then shifted back into that pained, fearful look. I could tell, just by looking at him. He was going to vote for himself.

I remembered Tobi's words. Rules made about it. About voting.

There's a rule that you're not allowed to abstain from voting. Then...what is Tobi trying to say?

...

I get it now. He's saying that what I do with my vote, and what my friends do with their votes...can change this.

Kozaki is right. We can't change the options there are for who to vote for. We can't vote for Erito Hajimoto. Was everything I did a waste of time?

I don't think so. I think I did everything I could to show them, to show everyone, that Kozaki and Erito aren't the same person. I hope, deep down inside, my fight was able to change something. To change the future.

And now...It all comes down to this vote...what we do here can change how this trial ends.

What I do now, with my single, humble vote…

"Alright-! Please-cast-your-votes-for-who-the-mastermind-of-the-killing-game-is-!" Monobotto cheered.

I looked over to the faces of my friends. It was as if we were all in unison.

…

And then...we made our choice.

* * *

 **A) Abstain from voting.**

"Well-well-well-!" Monobotto spun around. "Let's-see-what-the-results-are-!"

…

"What-is-this-?" Monobotto tilted its head. "Only-one-person-voted-?"

"W-What?!" Kozaki looked over to my direction in horror. "M-Mikanne, no...!"

"It's alright, Kozaki…" I smiled at him, gently. "I know. And the others do, too."

Kozaki shook his head. "But not voting means you've broken the rules!"

"I know." I nodded. "And I accept that."

"M-Mikanne…!" Kozaki squeezed his right arm, still shaking his head. "You'll be punished!"

I nodded again. "But you won't be, Kozaki. You'll be saved. You'll be able to escape from this place. To start over, somewhere else. You won't have to suffer like this anymore."

"N-No...don't do this!" Kozaki looked around the room. "I can't live on, not knowing that I survived at the cost of your lives! This won't stop Erito!"

"Kozaki…" Weise spoke up, smiling with tears in his eyes. "It's okay. You can live now. You can live for all of us."

Kyohi nodded. "We will never stop believing in you, Kozaki. So please, take this chance to escape. To get out of here."

Zraiko silently nodded. He couldn't muster the ability to say anything to Kozaki at all.

"Please…" Kozaki turned to Monobotto. "I-I demand a revote! Or, or something! Punish me! I have the most votes, even if it's just one! Please, save them…!"

Monobotto coldly shook its head.

"N-No, no! I'm supposed to be your master!" Kozaki yelled as he began to cry. "Listen to me! Listen to my command, damn you! I'm your master, so save my friends!"

"It's no use, nya." Tobi calmly walked over to Kozaki. "Master, the rules are the most important part. If they are broken, we must give out the consequences."

Kozaki turned to Tobi, desperately. "Well...Well I'll change the rules! Allow people to abstain from voting, so that I can be punished!"

Tobi shook his head. "It can't be done, Master." He then extended his hand. "I'll escort you from here. The least you can do for your friends is not watch as they suffer."

Kozaki slowly turned back to look at us. "No, I...I can't leave them...I can't leave them to die…!"

I silently walked over to the former arsonist before I pulled him into a tight hug. He returned the hug as he began to sob, squeezing me tightly.

"If Fraize is in the labs...go find him…" I whispered. "Escape with him. I know he'll take good care of you. And find Riko, if you can. If you're fast enough, you might be able to save her in time…"

The only response I got from him was the sound of his muffled sobbing as he buried his face into me.

I was then joined by Weise, Kyohi, and Zraiko. We all hugged together, afraid to let go.

We're going to die. We're going to die, but at least Kozaki will escape. And if Kozaki is gone, Faceless will be missing their mastermind. They won't be able to do whatever their plans were. They'll be forced to disband...and Kozaki and Fraize can start over somewhere else. Together in each other's company, forever…

It's the most selfish, despair-inducing choice I could have made.

"Tobi, please make sure he gets out of here." I turned to the alleged lab assistant. "Make sure he gets home."

Tobi silently nodded before taking Kozaki by the arm. "Master...we must leave this place now."

Kozaki quietly looked behind as he began to walk away. "Guys…"

"Good bye, Kozaki!" Weise smiled as tears slipped down the sides of his face. "Tell my father that I am willing my earnings all to you! Start over on a nice beach, with lots of dolphins! Name one after me, please!"

"Kozaki, don't forget us! We'll always be with you!" Kyohi called out. "Wherever you go, we'll be there!"

Zraiko nodded. "Go, Kozaki. Get out of this place. Get away from here, as far as you can go!"

I yelled out as well. "I forgive you, Kozaki! I forgive you for everything you've done! I'll miss you!" Please, get out of this hell!"

"I'll miss you all, too!" Kozaki called back to us, crying softly. "I swear, I'll never forget any of you! I'll escape, for all of us…!"

We all quietly waved as Kozaki walked away with Tobi. We waved until he was out of our sights.

"Wow. What-a-truly-heart-warming-farewell." Monobotto played around with its gavel. "In-any-case. It-is-finally-time-to-bring-this-killing-game-to-its-conclusion. Without-further-or-do…"

 **GAME OVER.**

 **The mastermind was not found.**

 **Commencing the punishment...**

My heart began to pick up speed as reality was beginning to hit me. I was going to die. _We_ were going to die.

I reached over to Zraiko and squeezed his hand, shutting my eyes. I wanted it to be over, I didn't want to die in such a humiliating way.

I suddenly found it much harder to be able to breathe. My feet slowly lifted off the ground as I was grabbed by the neck. The four of us were lined up together as Monobotto observed us.

"Well-well-well. I-will-need-a-very-extra-special-punishment-for-the-four-of-you. The-Super-Highschool-Level-Tattoo-Hacker-Fashion-Hockey-Star-Artist-Designer-combo-punishment-! Thinking-about-it-makes-me-so-excited-!"

I felt my eyes start to flutter closed. Everything was slipping away.

"Hey-hey-! You-can't-die-yet-! We're-only-just-getting-started-!"

It was then when we were whisked away, dropped onto a grand stage of a lavish auditorium. I slowly sat up to see a thunderous applause delivered by a massive crowd of Faceless cultists.

"Ladies-and-gentlemen-and-everyone-!" Monobotto called out to the audience. "It-is-time-for-the-main-event-!"

A spotlight then flashed onto the four of us. I covered my eyes, staggering lightly.

"Watch-as-I-make-these-four-friends-disappear-!"

In only just a few seconds, I could feel my skin being slashed on the surface before being shoved into the others. I looked around to see that our clothes were sewn together.

"A-Ah! That's my talent!" Weise cried out. "I'm sorry, so sorry!"

"It's not your fault, Weise!" Kyohi tried to reassure him.

"Well how about you look out for that _giant swinging hockey stick!"_ Zraiko yelled out.

We were then smacked by said stick into a large hockey net, which then ensnared. We were soon lifted off the floor before being dropped onto the center of a hockey field. Giant hockey sticks began to smack us around as though we were a ball, I was too scared to open my eyes, praying for my friend's voices to not be silenced.

We were then hit out of bounds, landing onto a platform. Zraiko made quick work to get the net off of us, as well as to rip off the threading that bound us together.

"Are you all still okay?" He asked, checking us.

"I-I can't move!" Weise cried out. "Everything hurts!"

"I'll carry you…" I slowly kneeled to pick him up. "Maybe...maybe there's a chance we can escape!"

Kyohi looked around before pointing. "Over there!"

We turned to see some sort of an exit door.

"It's a trap, don't fall for it." Zraiko shook his head. "Come on...let's walk around."

I nodded as I picked up Weise and carried him on my back. We then walked around for quite a bit before hearing a rumbling sound.

"W-What was that?" The hockey star asked, worriedly.

I turned around before pointing to a wall of fire. "I-Is that it?"

The fire wall then began to move towards us.

"A fire wall." Zraiko frowned, tugging on his now-ripped tie. "You've got to be joking right now."

"There's no way around it!" Kyohi began to panic. "What will we do?!"

I turned around in the opposite direction. "Run!"

We all began to bolt back the way we came. I started to lag behind, as I was carrying Weise with me.

"Mikanne, you're not going to make it with me!" Weise turned around. "I'm just holding you back!"

"Don't talk like that!" I yelled back, trying to push harder. "I'm not leaving you to die, Weise!"

I pressed harder and harder. I knew I was limited to the physical strength of my body, but I refused for it all to end like this.

I opened my eyes as I felt my body slam into something solid. It was a wall, a dead end.

And the wall of fire was only coming closer to us. Meanwhile the ground began to collapse as binary code wrapped around the floor, those pieces then falling onto webs of electricity only to be vaporized.

"Binary. It _had_ to be binary!" Zraiko gritted his teeth.

We huddled together as the fire wall approached. Needles started to fly in our direction. The walls and floor were painted with bright colors before melting in the destruction of the collapse.

"There's nowhere else to go…" Kyohi gulped, looking at us. "Is...Is this it?"

I gulped as I turned around to look at the fire. There were so many choices, but they were all choices of how to die. There was no choice left for how to survive.

"Just...Just close your eyes." Zraiko nodded to us. "Close your eyes, it'll be over soon."

I quietly nodded before closing my eyes and hugging my friends tightly.

...

No, this can't be the end! We can't let it all end here!

Please, someone hear me…! Help us!

I refuse this ending...!

 **[Ending 1: Empire of the Faceless]**

* * *

 **B) Vote for Kozaki.**

"Well-well-well-!" Monobotto spun around. "Let's-see-what-the-results-are-!"

…

"You-have-done-it-!" Monobotto hopped up and down. "You-have-all-correctly-voted-for-the-mastermind-!"

My eyes moved to look towards the floor. I felt a deep emptiness inside. This was what Kozaki wanted. He wanted to be punished. To stop Erito. To save Riko. To save Fraize. To save us.

"Thank you, everyone…" Kozaki smiled tearing up. "I'm so... grateful. I'll be able to pay for all the horrible things I've done. The game will end, you'll all be able to go home…"

The rest of us didn't know how to respond.

"Do you...really want this?" Weise asked, worriedly. "You're my friend, Kozaki. I don't...I don't want you to die."

Kozaki closed his eyes. "Parts of me are split, Weise. Part of me wants to die, so that Erito will never be able to hurt anyone again. Another part of me tells me that I want to live. To survive with you."

"B-But Kozaki, if you are the mastermind, why can't you stop this?" Kyohi asked, worriedly stepping up. "Why can't you stop this trial, this game, and everything?"

"I have to die, Kyohi…" Kozaki looked down. "That way, the game will be over. That's why Mei tried to kill me. Part of me wishes she did. Because then...you all would be saved. Riko and Fraize, and even Mei, they'd be with you."

"It's not too late to change your mind, Kozaki." Zraiko frowned. "You don't have to die. We could find some other way. I couldn't tell you how long it would take, but…"

Kozaki shook his head. "I appreciate it, really…" he sniffled, beginning to tear up. "You guys...you're all my friends. Of course I want to survive and escape with you. But I can't. So please...go. Go as far as you can, away from this place. And please...don't forget me…"

I slowly walked over to Kozaki, pulling him into a hug. "Forget you? That's impossible. There's no way I'd ever forget you." I squeezed him lightly. "I never forgot you, that day I left. Why would I forget you now?"

Kozaki quietly returned the hug.

"Kozaki...I won't forget you either." Weise spoke up. "You're like...a big brother to me. I look up to you, even now…"

Kyohi nodded. "I thought you were so cool, always solving those class trials. I wanted to help you, every step of the way…"

Even Zraiko had words to say. "Clashing with you was... humbling. Previously I had always had complete confidence that my methods were correct. Using my skills to solve cases was something that I thought would make me the most qualified. Though...it goes to show that you can't always be right."

Kozaki chuckled lightly in the hug. "Thanks…"

I then looked over as Tobi began to approach us. "Master…"

Kozaki looked up, wiping his face. "What is it, Tobi?"

"Please, don't leave Tobi alone..." Tobi looked to the floor. "I still...had something I needed to ask you…"

"I'm sorry...I can't remember you from the labs." Kozaki looked to the side. "I don't remember how I left you alone. But, at least now, you can go out there by yourself. You don't need me. You don't need a master. You are your master, Tobi."

Tobi looked back up. "But Master-"

"It's Erito." Kozaki smiled. "Erito Hajimoto."

"Erito…" Tobi sniffled. "Please, don't go. You don't have to die. We could run away, somewhere. We could run away so that Haiji won't ever find us."

Kozaki shook his head. "No. My death will bring an end to all of this. Go on, Tobi. Go on and make something of yourself."

Tobi bit his lip as he bowed. "I'll take this as my final command from you, Erito…"

Kozaki smiled and looked back at us. "I guess...this is it. Goodbye, guys…"

"K-Kozaki!" Weise ran over and hugged the former arsonist tightly. "I don't want you to go! It's not fair, it's not fair at all!"

Kozaki returned the hug, patting the young fashion designer on the head. "Weise…"

"I still believe in you, Kozaki!" Weise sniffled. "I won't stop believing in you, ever!"

The former arsonist, the mastermind, had nothing to say.

"All-done-now-?" Monobotto asked, calmly. "We've-got-to-get-this-show-on-the-road."

"How can you say something like this?" Kyohi asked, frowning. "How can you...just ask someone to hurry up, knowing they're going to die? That's not fair."

"It's fine, Kyohi." Kozaki stepped away from the young fashion designer. "I'm ready to accept my punishment."

"But…!" Weise was distraught. "Please, Kozaki, change your mind! You said you wanted to live with us! Please, please don't leave…!"

But it looked like regardless of Weise's protests, Kozaki would not change his mind.

"Go home, Weise." Kozaki patted him on the head, gently. "Can you do that for me?"

Weise silently nodded and looked to the floor.

The mastermind then walked towards a wall with his arms folded. "There's a wall that's supposed to open up, right?" He turned around. "I'd rather walk myself there than be dragged away."

Monobotto quietly turned away, perhaps to communicate with members of the cult. In just a few short moments, the walls opened up to reveal a dreary passageway.

"Thanks." Kozaki then turned to us, one last time. Smiling, he waved in a manner as though he had no care left in the world. "Bye, everyone…"

With that, he began to walk down the passageway as the walls shut behind him.

 **GAME OVER.**

 **The mastermind has been found.**

 **Commencing the punishment…**

We were all promptly brought to a massive auditorium, more upscale than the one from the main killing grounds. Strapped down in front row seats, I slowly looked up as a thunderous applause rang out. A series of spotlights were flipped onto the stage as a must rolled over the floors. There, he rose from the floor, his expression... lifeless.

He was wearing some sort of a red clip in his hair, one that matched the eye of Monobotto. He wore a lab coat and tie, the bottom edges of the coat seeming to be torn and aged. Lastly, he wore a pair of knee-high black boots, his entire outfit looking like that of some sort of supervillain.

It didn't feel like I was looking at Kozaki at all. I was looking at someone else, entirely. Looking at Erito.

A throne popped up behind him, to which he took a seat in the chair. Even though his body was relaxed, I could see he was growing pale. Like the realization that he was about to die was just hitting him.

From the bottom of the stage, a building shot out with Kozaki on it. It rose to what felt like a hundred feet into the air.

It was then when Monobotto rolled over to the structure and doused it in gasoline, lighting the building ablaze.

But no...this wasn't going to be an arsonist's punishment. It was going to be **a mastermind's punishment.** I feared for what was about to happen.

My attention then shifted over to a screen lowering to the side. I could see Kozaki there, still sitting on the throne. He looked miserable.

It was then where things started to pick up the pace. He was suddenly yanked up by the collar of his shirt by a giant, mechanical fishing rod.

 **Yuuta's talent.**

From there, he was suddenly slammed into the floor by the rod as it began to rain spikes upon him.

 **Kamiyaki's execution.**

He narrowly dodged, bolting towards the door and beginning to run and attempt to escape the building trying to kill him. Then, he slipped across the floor on a sheet of ice and slammed into a wall.

 **Ingreis's talent.**

Slowly, he rose to his feet and tried to skate over to the exit to the next floor. It was then where guns started firing at him, some of them grazing his body.

 **Soro's execution.**

Now making it to the next floor, he was greeted by what looked like a classroom of miniature Monobotto's.

 **Tikari's talent.**

The robots all raised up what looked like digital drawing pens and began to throw them at him. The tips were sharp, as though they encased knives.

 **Neizami's talent.**

One of them stuck Kozaki in the shoulder as he desperately tried to get away. But he wasn't able to escape before a mix of batter was dumped onto him, blinding him as he stumbled forwards.

 **Anne's execution.**

As he stumbled even more, he found himself on the next floor. Wiping the batter from his face, he looked over to see several motorcycles charging at him at full speed.

 **Sayino's talent.**

He quickly ran for the next floor, covering his mouth as it was getting hard to breathe. The smoke from the fire Monobotto set was starting to get to him, and the fire below was only continuing to climb.

He spun around, looking as though he would take his changes jumping out the window. He began to run for it, shutting his eyes.

…

He was then struck three times in the chest by bullets.

 **Mei's talent.**

Somehow, he refused to let it end there. He couldn't even stand any more, but he forced his body forwards as he clawed at the floor.

The first floor began to give away. The entire building rumbled, as though it would collapse at any second.

Kozaki continued to crawl to the window. He smashed it open using a piece of debris, looking at the ground below. It was clear, he was up too high to survive the fall.

The building only continued to rumble as debris began to fall around him.

 **Fraize's execution.**

Kozaki couldn't find the strength to move any more. That look on his face said everything. He just wanted to die.

And then...the building finally collapsed. Kozaki pushed himself out the window, accepting what his date would be.

As he fell, his eyes locked with mine. His eyes, filled with sorrow. Filled with apology.

Then, a crashing sound rang out throughout the auditorium. One that sent chills down my spine.

And after that crash...Kozaki never moved again.

The entire room was left in silence. As we were released, it began to rain colorful streamers in the air. A sign was unrolled from the ceiling that said _Congratulations!_

But I didn't care. I ignored it. The fanfare, the streamers, all of it.

As I walked into the stage, the pressure of despair only continued to exert itself onto me. I slowly crouched besides him. His eyes were wide open, his body left mangled in such an unnatural condition. With a shaking hand, I reached over to close his eyes.

…

I positioned his head onto my lap as I began to stroke his hair, gently. My eyes were swelling and burning as my throat tightened as warm tears flowed from my eyes.

You're free now, Kozaki, you're free. Your long years of suffering have finally come to an end…

It's not fair...you deserve a happy ending. You deserve to live. Even if the game ends now! After everything we fought for, after everything _you_ fought for…!

I refuse this ending…!

 **[Ending 2: He Finally is at Peace]**

* * *

 **C) Vote for myself.**

"Well-well-well-!" Monobotto spun around. "Let's-see-what-the-results-are-!"

…

"Well. This-is-quite-an-interesting-turn-of-events." Monobotto tilted its head. "It's-a-complete-five-way-tie."

I could see from the corner of my eyes, Tobi was smiling. This must've been what he meant.

"D-Doesn't that mean...they'll all be executed?! Because it wasn't a unanimous vote!" Kozaki worriedly gripped his clothes. "N-No, please! Please, dont!"

"Relax." Monobotto calmly replied.

"R-Relax, how?!" Kozaki felt his face. "M-My friend's lives depend on this!"

"Master is right. This was not a unanimous vote at all. But the circumstances are quite peculiar." Tobi crossed his arms. "By you all voting for yourselves, that instigates that you're _all_ the mastermind, nya."

"But...But it's even in the rules that they had to have voted for me unanimously." Kozaki bit his lip. "S-So, what will happen?"

"What-will-happen-indeed." Monobotto went quiet for a moment. "Well. The-rules-are-the-rules."

"S-So...?!" Kozaki seemed to be growing pale. "What's going to happen?!"

Monobotto calmly replied, "Good-question. I-will-ask-the-higher-ups-how-to-continue-from-here."

I could feel my breath was shaking. This...This was our only option.

"...How peculiar indeed."

We looked over as Monobotto's voice shifted. It was clear, Haiji Daisuke himself decided to speak on the matter.

"You've all tied the vote? How strange. What were you trying to achieve with that?" He asked, calmly. "You wanted to save my dear nephew from his fate, I take it?"

None of us replied.

"Well...the rules do say the vote has to be unanimous." He had Monobotto roll around across the floor. "This situation would warrant a group execution, wouldn't it? Hmm…"

Again, we did not reply. I could feel a cold sweat roll down the side of my face.

This was it. The only way we could have some kind of fight. Some kind of way to change the ending.

"If you all mean to say you're the mastermind, I guess I should just...execute all of you." He chuckled. "How does that sound?"

E-Execute all of us?!

"N-No, you can't do that!" Kozaki began to grow desperate. "You can't execute them!"

"Tsk, tsk. Who are you to tell me what to do, Kozaki?" Haiji coldly replied. "After all, your friends seemed so determined to say _you're not the mastermind._ Why should I take orders from you, you miserable child?"

"I…" Kozaki looked down, gritting his teeth. "I'm not going to let you do this!"

"Oh…?" Haiji seemed to be entertained. "And how will you stop me, dear nephew?"

Kozaki didn't reply.

"That's what I thought." Haiji replied, chuckling. "What a shame. So many wonderful, talented people will soon perish over such a foolish thing! You've all wasted your lives, the fools you all are!"

"I...I didn't waste my life." Weise spoke up.

"Huh?" Haiji replied, surprised.

"I used my life to try and save Kozaki's." Weise smiled. "That's not a waste, not to me."

Kyohi nodded. "Yeah. Kozaki was willing to sacrifice himself to save us, wanting to take the blame for being the mastermind. Of course we'd take this risk for him."

Zraiko tugged on his tie, nodding as well. "Maybe it is foolish. To cast our lives into an unknown. But if we never tried, who's to say if that would have made us even more or less foolish?"

I frowned, pointing at the robot, as though I were pointing to Haiji in person. "This trial, it was all rigged by you from the start. You wanted to set up Kozaki to take the fall and die, even though he was innocent! This...This is our last fight against you and your corrupted system!"

"...Innocent, you say?" Haiji chuckled in a sinister manner. "You really are a fool, Mikanne. You always have been, haven't you?" His voice then shifted to a more relaxed one. "Such wonderful talents, about to perish together. I remember watching that despair once before. It will be surreal to watch it happen again. But...I can't lie, I'm very excited to see this unfold. So, let's-!"

"No."

We looked over to Kozaki's direction.

"I won't let you do this." Kozaki frowned. "And to answer your question, _this_ is how I will stop you."

He then reached for his glove.

"It's the last thing I can do…" Kozaki looked at his hands. "To save them."

He began to tug at his glove, frowning. Instantly, I knew what he was trying to do. I wanted to step off my podium, to run over to him, to get him to stop.

But I couldn't. My feet were planted to the ground, and I was unable to find the strength to move. Because...this was what he wanted to do.

I wanted to speak, to yell at him to stop. But my mouth wouldn't open. My body fought against my mind.

Silently, he threw off his glove into the ring of podiums. He closed his eyes and looked down, sighing lightly.

In less than a few seconds, alarms started to go off as he was surrounded by a red circle.

 **Kozaki Daisuke has broken the rules.**

Silence swept over the room. I thought for a moment, we would all go into a panic. Tobi especially, for Kozaki shared the body of his beloved master. But no...not a single word was uttered from any of us.

"So this is your plan…" Monobotto tilted its head as Haiji controlled it. "Taking advantage of the class trial not being adjourned, I see…"

We did not respond.

"Hmm…" Haiji then chuckled. "I suppose I have to acknowledge my dear nephew's resolve to save his friends. Perhaps this warrants a special occasion?"

"Are you going to just execute Kozaki?" Kyohi looked away. "What about us?"

"Tut, tut. I think I can think of a far better solution than execution." Haiji's voice sounded...to be sickly excited.

"And...what would that be?" Weise asked, nervously.

Another chuckle. "Well...I shouldn't spoil the surprise, should I?"

I could feel Haiji grinning upon all of us, despite the fact that he wasn't even here. I looked over to Tobi, trying to read his reaction. Trying to see if there was any hope for us.

His face was impossible to read.

"You should all sit back and relax. The **show** is about to start!" Haiji's voice was giddy with excitement. "I've always wanted to be the one to say these words, you know. After standing in your position for so long...it feels almost delirious to be standing here now. Ah, what the hell, let's do it! It's punishment time!"

And with that, Monobotto slammed down the gavel, signalling the beginning of the punishment...whatever it would be.

 **GAME OVER.**

 **Kozaki Daisuke has broken the rules.**

 **Commencing the punishment…**

It started with a deep, thundering rumble. Then, within the blink of an eye, chains began to whizz past me.

"U-Urk-!"

I turned around to see Kozaki being yanked into the air by his neck. Before I could even extend my hand out to him, he was dragged away from the room.

Then came the familiar song and dance. The rest of us were dragged away and brought into a grand auditorium, each and every seat filled with cultists, eager to watch the show. As for us...we had front row seats.

Spotlights flashed onto the stage and pointed all in one direction. To Kozaki, chained in place. He wasn't wearing any Monobotto-themed clothes, interestingly enough. No, he was still wearing the clothes he was before.

I held my breath, expecting the worst. Expecting for his execution to begin at any moment.

But...that didn't happen.

The audience began to roar and cheer with excitement. Looking back to the stage, I could see a man begin to walk into it from behind the curtains. He grinned and waved to the audience, even blowing kisses and taking a bow as he stood besides Kozaki.

That man...was Haiji Daisuke. It had been years since I had seen his face, and yet...I felt myself getting chills all the same.

"Good evening, everyone! I'm so glad you're all here!" Haiji grinned as he motioned to Kozaki. "Come on, Erito! Address your loving supporters, won't you?"

Kozaki was pale.

"Stage fright, huh?" Haiji pouted and shrugged. "Bah, you never were a theater kid."

"What...What the hell is all of this?" The former arsonist asked with a shaking breath.

"Your ceremony, silly." Haiji grinned as he slapped Kozaki on the back. "Don't you remember?" He tilted his head with a grin. "The deal was you were going to be erased forever, so that your silly, emotional, hindrance of a personality wouldn't get in the way of anything anymore."

W...What the hell?!

"E-Erase…?" Kozaki asked, his eyes widening. "I-I don't want to be erased!"

"Boo-hoo." Haiji waved a hand, dismissively. "This whole operation was your idea."

"It wasn't...It was Erito's!" The former arsonist tried to fight back.

Haiji tilted his head and gave off a sick, twisted smile. "Oh...but you are Erito, remember? _**Everyone in Faceless is."**_

Kozaki didn't respond.

"Ohh, that's right. You don't remember that part." Haiji's smile softened. "That's a shame."

Kozaki didn't respond again, instead he began to struggle to get out of the chains.

"Good luck getting out of those!" Haiji stepped away. "They were made to not be escaped from, after all! That's what chains are for!"

I then looked up as I heard some kind of whirring sound. I understood now why Haiji was stepping out of the way.

A machine had lowered from the ceiling, looming over Kozaki.

"W-What the fuck is this thing?!" Kozaki yelled to his uncle as he continued to struggle.

"Oh?" Haiji turned around. "You don't recognize it? Man." Haiji snapped his fingers, as though he was disappointed. "Really shouldn't have gotten rid of those memories. It's really a pain to have to explain everything to you." He shrugged again. "Don't panic, my dear nephew. It will only hurt for…" He checked his watch on his wrist. "...Thirty-five seconds! That's not so terrible, now is it?"

I wanted to do something. To get out of my seat, to shout and yell and do something, just _something!_

But I was trapped, strapped into my chair. I couldn't even open my mouth. All I could do...was watch.

"Alright. Enjoy the show, everyone!" Haiji bowed again as he began to walk away.

The machine then lowered even more before stopping just inches away from Kozaki. Metal claws of some kind sprouted out and attached to different places around his body. One large one in particular latched onto his head.

And then…It turned on.

He twitched at first before his body began to jolt. He shouted and cried for help, but no one would. No one helped him, because to them...Kozaki wasn't their master. He wasn't even a real person. Not to them.

But he was. He was to me.

And I…

I couldn't sit and watch him be erased.

I don't know how to explain it, but I've never felt such an extreme rush of adrenaline before. I couldn't even remember it all clearly. One moment I was sitting down. Then I was ripping free from the chair, and then…and then…

And then I was trying to pull the machine off of him. I don't know what was going through my mind, thinking I could just rip him free.

"It's going to be okay, Zaki! Don't stop fighting it!" I yelled to him, hoping he could hear me. "You're _real,_ Zaki!"

He looked at me in the eyes as he struggled to hold on. His eyes were changing colors, rapidly.

Maroon.

Gold.

Blue.

 _Maroon._

 _Gold._

 _Blue._

 _ **Maroon.**_

 _ **Gold.**_

 _ **Blue.**_

And then his eyes suddenly snapped closed.

I thought for a moment, I had lost him. That I failed, for the last time.

But then...the machine stopped. It stopped and pulled away, to the ceiling.

I thought I could see Tobi, from the corner of my eyes. Could he have...

How many seconds went by? Was it thirty-five? I wasn't even counting.

"M-Mik…"

I looked back over to Kozaki.

"H-Heh…I'm sorry, for everything…"

He then slumped over in my hold.

I frantically reached to check his pulse.

 _Clap. Clap. Clap._

"Now this was a twist, wasn't it?"

I looked over to see Haiji approach us. Defensively, I stepped back as I held onto Kozaki.

"Gee, sport. Trying to ruin our fun?" Haiji tilted his head. "Look. The audience is shocked! Why, even your friends are!"

I looked over to the audience, then to where the others had been sitting. They weren't there anymore. Instead, I spotted them with masks over their faces, being dragged away by several cultists.

"H-Hey, stop-!" I stepped over in their direction. I didn't get much farther before I was grabbed behind by two other cultists.

"Hahaha...no. This doesn't end here." Haiji laughed, reaching over to pull Kozaki away from me. "I refuse to let this be the end. After everything we've built…!" He yanked Kozaki closer to him before stroking his face. "Erito, my dear, precious nephew…come now."

"Let him go!" I yelled, struggling to reach them, to reach Kozaki.

Haiji turned to me and smiled, coldly. "Tsk, tsk...what a stupid child you are, Mikanne."

I was pulled back by the two cultists. I tried, _I tried_ to do something. I tried to escape, to fight. But I couldn't.

"This story doesn't end until I say it does!" Haiji grinned. "You pitiful children, this whole game, this whole _world_ is far beyond your understanding!"

I looked over to Kozaki. He was still passed out, his expression being incredibly soft and delicate.

"If you'd be so kind…" Haiji bowed. "My nephew and I will be leaving now. We have some business to attend to, and perhaps a change of plans to discuss. Goodnight, Mikanne. We will meet again...after the credits roll."

I still didn't want to stop. My hand continued to reach out, desperately. "Kozaki!"

But then...there was nothing but darkness. His face was the last thing I saw before a mask was pressed over mine.

And then...I fell into a deep void.

 **[Ending…?]**

 **[No. This story can't end here.]**

 **[There has to be a way to change the ending to the story.]**

 **[A way to save everyone.]**

 **[Please...if you're out there…]**

* * *

…

Well, well, well. That really was a surprise, wasn't it?

Oh, that's right. You're still unconscious. Well, hurry up. I have quite the story for you once you've awakened.

…

You know, the stars look wonderful right now. I know I say this every time, but something about their gleam feels particularly special tonight. Wouldn't you agree?

…

Right, right. Unconscious. I getcha.

…

That cat? Oh, he's gone on the run. Haven't seen him since the trial. Though, he can't get far. I mean, where's he going to run to in this space ship, anyways?

...

Hey, you know, I think I'll go grab something to eat while I wait for you. Don't worry, I'm not leaving you alone. Someone special is going to keep you company.

Incase you can't take the hint, it's the same person who _always_ kept you company.

Pfft.

Alright, enjoy your sleeping. We will have a lot to discuss once you're awake.

And I mean _a lot._ Like, hell. So much for the public erasing ceremony. Well, we can settle for just doing it in private. I know how much of an annoyance Kozaki has been to you.

…

Okay, okay, I'm really going now. See you.

…

Oh, were you wondering about who I am? Seems like that whole memory thing did a number on you. I don't think you've ever looked so confused before.

It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Haiji Daisuke.

Though... I'd prefer to go by Erito Hajimoto.

* * *

~ Chapter Six, End ~


	41. His Desolation

For a long while, there was nothing but silence.

I don't remember how too clearly. One moment, I was walking somewhere. To a place I had already forgotten. The next moment, here I was.

Alone, resting in a cold, silent place.

I laid, unsure if I was even conscious at all. After all, it all felt like a dream - or perhaps a nightmare.

I decided...I was too tired to open my eyes. Maybe I was scared, but I just couldn't find the will to move my body.

And for a while, that's how I remained. Laying, in an unknown place.

But that unnerving tranquility did not last for much longer.

"Hey...are you alright?"

My body twitched slightly as I felt someone poke my cheek.

"Guess I should wait for a bit for you to wake up, huh?"

I slowly decided to open my eyes, looking around to find myself in an unfamiliar setting.

Darkness. Darkness all around, with dim and dusty lanterns lighting the area just barely. I was laying on what felt like dirt, with the floors and ceilings being held up by planks of wood.

"Oh, you're up! Gee, I'm sorry for bothering you and your nap, but-"

I sat up slowly, turning to look at the person who was speaking to me.

"Hello, hello!" The person, a girl wearing a white beanie over her lavender hair, parted by twin-tails, smiled at me. She wore an outfit that I could only describe as being filled to the brim with sparkle and flair. "I'm glad that I found you. This whole place has been super scary, and there's no sign of anyone else around."

I brushed my clothes as I took a look around, trying to piece together what this place was.

"Hey, so, since you're awake now…" The girl tilted her head to the side. "Do you know what this place is? Do you know how you, or I, got here?"

I didn't respond to her. Instead, I rose to my feet and frowned. I couldn't remember how I arrived here, nor even what I was doing before.

"You're not one for much words, huh?" The girl sighed and crossed her arms behind her back. She stepped forwards, swaying her body in a playful manner. "Can I atleast know your name?"

I frowned at her and looked away, preparing to walk around and explore.

"My name's Tsubomi!" She stepped in front of me. "Tsubomi Nono! C'mon, I don't bite." She smiled.

I sighed, trying to step away. Don't talk to her, my mind was telling me. Just move it. Get out of here.

"A name. It wouldn't hurt." She stepped in front of me again. "Please?"

I sighed and adjusted my tie, figuring that if this would satisfy her, it wouldn't hurt. "Erito. Erito Hajimoto."

"Wow...what a cool name!" She smiled. "So, Erito, do you think it's okay if I tag along?"

Although I didn't respond verbally, I motioned for her to follow me.

The thing was, though...I didn't know where we were going at all. I was aimlessly walking to find some place, some way to navigate myself. However, I figured any walking was better than standing put and hoping to be rescued from...wherever this place was.

"Hey, Erito…" Tsubomi spoke up as she looked around. "Where do you think we are? Some kind of cave?"

"Indeed." I simply nodded.

"Well, then all we have to do is go towards the light!" She pointed upwards with a smile. "We find cracks in the dirt where the sunlight slips through, right?"

I nodded again. "Possibly. However, that plan is flawed. Firstly, if it's dark outside, there wouldn't be sunlight to slip through the cracks."

"Then...we just wait for the sun to rise." Tsubomi tilted her head and smiled sheepishly. "Right?"

"Our location also impacts this." I paused to examine the area. "How deep we are underground."

"We can't be in too deep, though." Tsubomi looked to the side. "Because...I can breathe just fine."

"Ah, right." I closed my eyes. "...The abundance of fresh air is incredibly...peculiar."

"Huh, huh? Fresh air?" She blinked. "But that can't be right. Fresh air, down in a cave?"

I then continued to walk. "Again, perhaps we might be close to the surface."

Tsubomi trailed behind me, looking around curiously. "Hmm...maybe we could try digging up?"

"It would be bad to cause the ceiling to collapse upon us." I shook my head.

Tsubomi sighed. "Then, I'm out of ideas. I'm sorry, Erito."

"It's fine." I replied, simply. There was no use in dwelling on it. We just had to keep moving onwards.

And, onwards we went. Step, step, step. There didn't seem to be any end to this cave. Nor did there seem to be any end to our aimless walking.

Atleast, not until...

 _Click, click, click, click._

"What's that clicking sound?" Tsubomi asked, glancing around.

I paused for a moment to carefully listen to our surroundings. "It sounds like…some sort of machine."

"Well, where is it?" Tsubomi moved her hands into the shapes of binoculars. "The machine, I mean. It sounds so close to us, but…"

Just then, the dirt from under our feet was suddenly swept away. We found ourselves to be situated in a minecart of some kind, one that suddenly began to roll forwards down the track.

"E-Eep!" The girl ducked into the minecart while tightly pulling her beanie down to her head. "That was the machine, I think!"

I also ducked into the minecart, pressing my back against the wall. Even though I would normally want to see where I was going, something about this cart told me I needed to keep my hands and feet and all other body parts inside the vehicle at all times.

The minecart would swerve violently often, causing me to feel slightly sick to my stomach. Then came the hill, where the cart began to fly downwards.

It was like a roller coaster.

I hated roller coasters.

When the ride finally stopped and the dust was cleared...we ended up in a situation neither of us would ever be prepared for.

…

You already know what I'm going to say, don't you?

Miss Tsubomi, she was...my closest compatriot. Sounds odd, doesn't it? I just spent a good five minutes telling you about how she annoyed me at first.

And yet…

She always stayed by my side. Time and time again, she would walk besides me with her arms behind her back, flashing me a grin warmer than the sunlight the both of us missed dearly.

"Hello, hello, Erito!" She would always be waiting in front of my door every morning. "Let's get back to our mystery solving to end the game!"

Tsubomi would ask me about myself often. She respected me, telling me that people like myself were making the world a better place by studying new sciences that would help evolve humanity.

"Waah...Erito, you're so smart." She would sheepishly smile while holding her hands behind her back, swaying her body lightly. "I bet you'll find the next big thing, y'know? A breakthrough in your studies!"

Yes, my title at the time was Super-Highschool-Level. But, I was no real psychologist. It was what I was studying for, what I was passionate to become. And yet, in her eyes, it was like I already had accomplished so much.

"I hope that I'll be able to make an impact on the world, too." She would smile and nod. "So let's both do our part!"

I would solve murder cases in our game alongside our other classmates. She felt like she couldn't provide anything, that all she _could_ do was sing and dance.

"That trial's done…" Tsubomi would gulp, looking to the side. "Hey, hey...now is when the game really ends this time, right? We can't keep going on like this...I wish I could help, but...I'm not very smart."

She wanted to support me. She wanted to push me to even greater heights. Heights that she thought she could never achieve. She was the Super-Highschool-Level Pop Idol. What could she do in a killing game?

"Well, even if I can't help with my mind, I'll help with my heart!" She would smile and clap. "Let's do it, then! The end of the killing game, it's bound to come as long as we stay determined!"

I don't know how to explain it. Something about her, it sparked feelings within me that I've never experienced at the time. I wanted to protect her. Yes, truly. The girl who I said annoyed me, I changed my mind.

"Come on, come on Erito! We've got more sleuthing to do!" She'd wink. "We'll find the truth any time now, I know it!"

She kept trying to smile, to bury her feelings. Something about her sweet, bouncy, sparkly self was hiding something beneath the surface, and nobody else was able to pick up on it. It started to crack free the further we made it through the game. By the third murder, it was blatantly apparent to me that she was forcing herself to keep positive.

"...Don't worry about me, Erito. Maybe I'm just off to a bad start today. I'll be springing back to my feet before you know it!" She would reassure me. "C'mon, you know we all gotta stay positive! That means me, too."

You can never really find the right words to explain how you fall for someone. I fell for her, slowly and surely. When she would take my hand, I would hold hers. When she would surprise me from behind, I would smile. It was like she put a spell on me with her music and sparkle.

Music? That's right. I told you, she was a pop idol. Part of a group of girls who would sing and dance. She wanted to spread smiles all over the world, she told me. To make the world just a little bit brighter. Ridiculous, you'd think. But...there was more to it.

"Erito, there's...something that I need to tell you. See, I...gosh, I'm really bad at formalities. But, this really is important. If you and I are going to, well…" Her voice trailed off. "Then there should be no secrets, m'kay?"

…

No. I'm not going to tell you what she said next. It was her secret. One that she trusted me to keep.

I still remember that day, where the two of us sat down together by a waterfall in the caves. She took my hands and told me her secret. I told her it didn't matter to me, that I loved her for everything she was all the same. Yes, I loved her. Perhaps because we were teenagers. You always have a first love, don't you?

And yet, even though I loved her, look at how I ended the game.

"Don't worry about me, Erito...I have nothing waiting for me out there." She would hold me close as her body would shake. "I'm...nothing. Nobody is waiting for me. But you, you have a family to go to. You _have_ to escape, you _have_ to make it back to them. Please...end this poor girl's suffering."

I killed her.

"Erito, you…!"

I killed them. All of them.

All I could see were faces. Faces of people. People who I called my friends. Faces and voices that would be forever etched into my memory.

"N-No, no! It wasn't supposed to end like this…!" Rindou shrieked, pulling her hair.

"W-Why?! Erito, this can't be true! This isn't you!" Katiaka desperately clasped her hands over her mouth.

"There's no way... there's no way you would kill her, Erito!" Takumi tugged on his tie, pointing at me with his eyes lit ablaze.

People that I once called my friends…

I was the one who got them killed. All of them.

And what did I get? What did I get for all the suffering? This prize, this tainted prize I grasped with their blood splattered all over my clothes.

…

It wasn't worth it. It was just. More. Suffering.

And that's nobody's business. Nobody's, but mine.

And I…

I refuse to relive my worst memories.

...

I know, I know. What was the point in hyping you up if that was all I was willing to share. I can tell, just by looking at you, you want to know more. So, so much more. Maybe it's because your memories are still a tad bit on the scrambled side?

Fear not. Erito is still asleep, so we have more time to talk. I suppose now I'll move on to sharing...his story.

It technically still is the story of Erito Hajimoto, after all. Can't be mad at me for that, can you?

…

Ah, you know what? While we still have time to kill, let me share some other stories with you. I have quite a few. It would be good to catch you up on these utmost important details.

Stories about your master. After all, as his bodyguard, you should know who it is you are protecting. Right?

Well, then listen up. You'll want to hear these ones, _Ramón Loarte._

* * *

"Wah...none of Tobi's business?!" The lab assistant frowned, slightly. "Tobi is Master Erito's number one! Why does Tobi not get to know?"

"Because, you lab cat…" I calmly put a stack of papers into a drawer in my desk. "That's how it is."

"Master Erito does not need a bodyguard!" Tobi stomped on the ground. "I am more than enough!"

I glared in Tobi's direction as I shut the drawer to my desk. "You wouldn't survive a single chapter in a killing game, Tobi. Let alone protect Master Erito from being killed."

"Oh, and some 'rando' is supposed to do better than I can?" Tobi sourly looked to the side. "I've been helping since around day one, ya know? Gimme more credit!"

"No." I stood up, calmly adjusting my tie. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go."

"Nuh-uh!" Tobi crossed his arms. "Not until ya' give me a clear answer!"

"Make me." I walked past him without any effort.

The lab assistant scrambled after me, fuming. "Listen here, pal! There's no way any of those guys would make for a good bodyguard! Even if Master Erito were to handpick them himself!"

"What makes you so sure?" I asked him, not looking in his direction. After all, I had places to go. Not conversations to hold. Especially not with that dolt.

"Because!" Tobi began to respond. "Because-"

"Quiet. We will continue this later." I opened the door to the grand hall, walking inside to waste no time. Tobi did not follow me inside.

Master Erito was already there, waiting.

"You were almost late." He looked over in my direction. "Was there trouble?"

"None at all." I smiled, reassuringly. "Come on. We've delayed this long enough already."

Erito looked over the crowd of people. "This is quite the turn-up. I have already read over each application, but something about seeing them all in person really puts this into perspective."

"Do you know who you're looking for?" I tilted my head, wondering about it.

Erito smiled at me. "Why do you think I'm here, now?"

Answering a question with another question. I think I rubbed off on him.

"If you'll excuse me…" Erito nodded. "The king of the elites would like to choose his knight."

I chuckled, lightly. "Then let's get right to it." I motioned to the long line of candidates which had been patiently waiting for what seemed like quite some time. Erito must've already instructed them to organize themselves into this line.

"Yes…" Erito nodded, calmly. "Let's begin."

We began to walk down the line of Faceless members. Each one took off their mask and made eye contact with Erito. When Erito would walk away, they would put their mask back on.

There was never a time anyone spoke. Not the candidates, not myself, nor even Master Erito.

As quickly as a new face was introduced to me, it was gone from my memories. This was the nature of the Faceless, after all. Anonymity was a key aspect to the program.

We continued to walk. Walk, pause, walk, pause, walk. My mind went on autopilot. I was beginning to expect, as we were soon more than halfway down the line, that none of the candidates would suffice.

Step, wait, step, wait, step, wait.

Wait.

 _Wait._

…

I turned around, noticing how Master Erito was waiting, examining someone for far longer compared to the rest.

It was a boy. A boy with bright orange hair and golden eyes. That was the most I could note from him taking off his mask.

They looked at each other in the eyes in a rather intensive manner. It was different. I don't recall the other candidates maintaining eye contact with Master Erito like this.

"What is your name?" Master Erito asked, calmly.

"Ramón. Ramón Loarte." The boy replied, firmly.

Master Erito continued to examine the boy. "Ramón Loarte…"

There was a short silence.

"...You're the one." Master Erito nodded.

I was quite dumbfounded, to say the least. "M-Master, pardon me, but...all you've done was stare at each other and ask for his name. How could you be so sure?"

He didn't turn to me as he responded, "I just know. I would've expected you of all people to notice it."

I glanced to the side. "Yikes…" I then stood besides him. "Well...if this is what you have decided, then so be it."

There was a silence that followed. Perhaps, it may have been an uncomfortable one.

"Ramón Loarte…" Erito nodded. "Your talent...what is it?"

Eh, why was he asking? The talent's listed in the file, after all...

Ramón closed his eyes. It was clear the topic discomforted him to some degree. "Mafioso."

Erito seemed to be incredibly pleased. "You're perfect. I knew you were."

"In that case, we will begin the preparations immediately." I began to walk away. "Come along, now."

The crowd slowly began to disperse as the pair followed behind me. We then entered another hallway before stepping into an elevator.

"...So, Ramón." I turned to the brand new bodyguard. "How are you feeling? Excited? You'll be standing side by side with _The_ Master Erito!"

Ramón turned to look at me. "This is all happening pretty fast...I'm not sure how to feel."

"Feel excited! You've just made it to the top!" I gave him words of encouragement.

He didn't seem to be so sure. Instead, he moved to put his mask back on.

"No." Master Erito turned to him. "You will no longer be needing that mask. Keep it off from now on."

"Ah…?" Ramón seemed to be confused. "Keep my mask off?"

"Yes." Erito narrowed his eyes. "My bodyguard isn't just another Faceless in the crowd."

Ramón lowered the mask. "I see…"

The elevator stopped once we had arrived at our destination. I walked the group over to a vacant, locked room. "Here you are. Right down the hall from your master."

I opened the door using a key and turned on the lights, stepping inside. Master Erito and Ramón walked into the room behind me. The former nodded in approval while the latter looked around in awe.

"Exquisite, isn't it?" I nodded pridefully, handing the bodyguard the room key. "This is your new home away from home, Ramón! Oh, and don't worry. We'll get your stuff brought up here."

"It's…" He looked around. "More than I could ever afford."

"Shall we have a housewarming party?" I held my hands behind my back with a smile.

"If it is alright, Erito..." Master Erito turned to me. "I'd like to stay here with Ramón, just the two of us."

"Eh?" I crossed my arms. "What for?"

He turned to Ramón and nodded. "We need some time to properly get used to each other. After all...as my bodyguard, he will have to constantly stay by my side. Not to mention…" He grinned in a manner that both felt casual, and yet sinister. "He'll have to get to know his master, the king of the elites."

"Right you are, Master Erito." I gave him some finger guns as I headed out from the room. "See you around."

With that, I closed the door behind me.

"This is dumb." Tobi muttered while rolling his eyes. "All they did was stare. How does that qualify you to do anything? Let alone be a bodyguard."

"L-Lab cat?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Where did you come from?"

"I followed you." He frowned and placed his hands to his hips. "And ya know what? I think...this is a whole buncha bologna!"

I sighed as I began to walk away. "Please, enlighten me."

"Nyah, I disapprove of this Ramón guy!" Tobi shook his head as he followed behind me. "I mean, we're talking about a _mafioso!_ That's completely inappropriate for a bodyguard! I mean, _sure_ he has the know-how for fighting. But-"

I rolled my eyes at the lab cat. "This is Master Erito's choice."

"Well, he…" Tobi didn't want to outright say he was wrong. After all, he was _the_ top of the entire organization. "He needs to tell me why a mafioso can do a better job at guarding him than, ohhh I dunno...an actual Elite Level Bodyguard?!"

"That orange kid's got something about him." I shrugged, simply. "Dunno what." I then smiled, slyly. "Don't tell me you're jealous."

"J-Jealous?! Absurd!" Tobi stomped a foot onto the ground. "I want to make sure my master is safe in the killing game!"

"Again, this wasn't your choice to make." I reminded the lab cat as I began to walk away, back to my office.

"Yeah, but... where's the tests?! The qualifications?!" Tobi trailed behind me, persistent as always.

"He is talented in being a mafioso. Isn't that enough for you?" I rolled my eyes at Tobi.

"Uh, _no?!"_ Tobi frowned. "There has to be something more to this. Master Erito is a very calculated thinker!"

"Maybe this is his very calculation." I shrugged, nonchalantly. "In any case, I have more pressing matters to see right now."

Tobi grumbled and walked away, down the hall. It seems like he had enough for now. "You and your _matters…"_

Once Tobi was gone, I headed back to my office room and turned to the computer.

 _There has to be something more to this._

That lab cat's right about that, at the very least. As for what that something is…

…

I need to know.

I decided to take a listen to the recordings of the room. Surprised? Yes, the rooms are all bugged. But why?

 _We can't risk traitors hindering with our operation, now can we?_

Listening in, I closed my eyes to think carefully about their conversation.

 _"I've read yours, Ramón Loarte. I've read every candidate's file before what occured today."_

 _"So you were going to pick me from the start?"_

 _"You were on my mind, as were a few others. However, the intensity in your eyes when I saw you in person. That was what I was looking for. Someone who can stare right back at me, without fear."_

 _"Is that really all it?"_

 _"Well, the other thing was...your level of dedication."_

 _"Ah?"_

 _"You know why you're here, Ramón Loarte. You joined our cause to give your family security. You are someone who lives to protect. I think that makes you perfect, does it not?"_

 _"...Maybe so."_

 _"That and your level of expertise from the mafia...you were the correct choice. I know it."_

I clicked off the audio as I folded my hands and pondered about this. "Ramón Loarte…" I then decided to do a quick search to pull up a copy of his file for myself to read.

What an interesting boy you are.

This is why Master Erito chose you, isn't it? Hmm…

How intriguing.

 _Knock knock._

I set the file down and closed it before looking up towards the door. "Come in."

In walked a fellow Faceless member. Clad in their mask and suit uniform, there was no way to identify them. That was the nature of the anonymity of our program. I did mention that before, didn't I?

To those without a face, we simply call them Erito. After all...everyone is an Erito here, in one way or another.

"Good evening, Erito." I smiled at them. "How may I assist you?"

"I've come with a report on another scouting, Erito." The person handed a file to me. "This one's promising."

I took the file and opened it up, scanning over the pages. "...Otomaeda."

"Yes." The person nodded to me.

I stood up from my seat, putting away the file of Ramón into one of my drawers before heading towards the door. "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome, Erito." The person followed behind me. "I will let you know when there is another report."

I smiled as I stepped out from my office, holding the door open for them. "I'm confident you will, Erito."

With that, we parted ways as I began to head towards the elevator. Stepping inside, I swiped my ID card for authorization and headed to the ground floor.

When the doors opened, I walked down the long hallway to my destination. And boy, do I mean long. Football field length, even.

Opening the set of double doors, I stood before…

…

That's right. The caskets of my...friends.

"Hey, Takumi. She's related to you, right?" I opened the file again and examined the contents in further detail. "Neizami...some kind of artist. I wonder if you ever knew about her. She's your niece, you know?" I chuckled, awkwardly. "What a funny story. Your niece, my nephew, both in the same killing game. Maybe something interesting will happen? Or perhaps, nothing at all…" I then closed the file.

There was no response, obviously.

"Soooo, how's the cryogenic preservation treating you?" I looked to the side. "Must be pretty cold. I mean, that's the point."

Again, no response.

I sighed and shook my head, walking past the others right to Tsubomi's. I unclipped the white rose from my shirt pocket and placed it on top of her casket. By now, it was littered in white roses. I always give her one when I visit.

"I promise, this is for the better." I reassured her. "I'm going to create a world where nobody will suffer as you did. You, or the others. Without suffering, without the selfishness of humankind, we can finally evolve into the best people we can be. And that all starts…" I glanced to the side. "Well, when this bad boy gets out of the atmosphere. Let me tell you, it's really damn hard to hide a whole giant space laboratory cruiser that you stole from the government. But, soon, we'll be ready for takeoff. Just give me one more year, I promise."

She did not reply to me.

"I'm doing this...for you." I turned back to her and smiled. "And everyone, okay? Don't worry about me, Bonnie."

With that, I exited the room, carefully closing the doors behind me as I left.

…

Oh, sorry. I promised you that I would be sharing stories about your master. I went on a bit of a tangent there, didn't I? Oopsies.

Did I spy on you? Bah, you make it sound like I was committing a crime. It's my responsibility to ensure that we don't risk the safety of Master Erito.

Alright, alright. Back to the stories. This one's pretty important, so pay attention.

* * *

"Master. You're late." I crossed my arms as I tilted my head to the side. "That's not quite like you. What happened? Do we need to add caffeine to the formula?"

Master Erito rubbed his eyes as he frowned. "That drug needs more perfecting…"

"Bah. That's all you have to say to me?" I frowned. "You've just woken up. Come on, lighten up a little. We have practically a year to get the formula just right."

Erito sat up from the table, stretching lightly. He didn't say a word.

"Come oooon...you're not going to tell me anything about how it felt?" I leaned in. "You're not getting kidnapped again, you know."

"The news." He moved to hop off the table, though he staggered lightly.

"Huh?" I tilted my head again.

Erito slid down from the table, then trying to walk to the door. "Look, just...I need to see it."

"Alright…" I shrugged, calmly. "There's a television down the hall, room on the left."

He then wobbled out of the room. I trailed behind him, making sure he wouldn't collapse on the way there.

He needs to see it?

I wonder what's on his mind…

When we arrived at the room with the television, a rec room of sorts, he took a seat and quietly began to flip through channels. Once he found one on the news, he grew silent as he listened to it.

 _"Police investigators are speculating that this was an aggravated kidnapping."_

Hmm...he wants to listen to his own case. I wonder why. Maybe to see if it's a job well done?

 _"Earlier this morning, the boy's attorney held a meeting with him over a recent arson incident. He was reportedly the last person to see him. Police have taken Royce Steveston into custody for questioning. It seems as though he is not a suspect in the crime at this time."_

Erito quietly folded his arms. It was hard to tell how exactly he was feeling about this.

 _"His parents are due to make an appeal for his safe return home. There is quite a lot of anxiety in the air. This particular part of town has a relatively low crime rate. It seems as though the entire town is already dedicated to ensuring that the nineteen-year-old is found unharmed."_

"They care…"

"Hmm?" I tilted my head. I thought that I heard Master Erito say something. Though...his face was as difficult to read as ever. Maybe it was just my imagination.

 _"If any of you have any information pertaining to Kozaki Daisuke's location, please contact the-"_

 _ **Click.**_

Ah...he turned off the television.

"Are you alright, Master?" I asked him, confusedly.

"...I've seen enough." He stood up. For the first time, it seemed as though there was some kind of emotion I could read from him. One of...pain.

"We will be traveling to Massachusetts tomorrow morning." I nodded to him. "Get plenty of sleep tonight, alright?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he glanced back to the television. "I can't…"

"Hmm?" I blinked, confusedly. "Can't what?"

"Bring myself...to see the appeal." He bit his lip.

Hmm...interesting.

"Then just don't watch it." I shrugged with a smile. "Come on, Master. We have to stick to the schedule, and you need to be at your A-Game."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Right. There's no turning back now." He then walked out of the room, frowning. "See you in the morning, Erito."

"Be seeing you, Master Erito." I waved to him as he left.

...

Before you ask, this whole kidnapping was his own idea, not mine. I've never, this whole time, made choices for him. Nor have I taken control of him. All of his choices - Kozaki's, Erito's - are his own.

 _ **All I ever did was plant a seed and nurtured it to grow.**_

…

When the next day arrived, Erito seemed to be even more distracted than before.

"Come on, now." I smiled at him as I motioned towards our car. "It'll be a nice road trip, and you'll have plenty of time to ponder over...whatever it is you're pondering."

He sighed and slipped into the shotgun seat of the car, turning to look out the window.

I slipped in the driver's seat and buckled up. "Hey, sport. You might be a mastermind, but you still need to follow road safety laws. Now, buckle up."

He buckled up without a word.

"Thanks, champ." I smiled as I turned the keys of the ignition.

It wasn't long before we were on the highway. Driving past farms, and farms, and...more farms. Did you know there's a lot of farms you pass by on long highway trips?

"Oh, look, some cows! You like those, don't you?" I smiled at Erito in a friendly manner. "You know, back when you were little, you loved to point out whenever we would pass by a farm with cows. You remember that, right?"

He didn't respond.

"Hmm…" I then took a moment to think. "Oh, I know. What's a road trip without music? Here, let me play one of my CDs for you." I then pressed a button to play Disc 3.

 _"Guess who's back? It's Rock N' Rolla Rondy!"_

Erito audibly groaned in response. "Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate here."

"Bah." I turned the music off before it even had the chance to properly start. "Lighten up, will you?"

"Who are we going to pick up from Massachusetts?" He turned to look at me, ignoring my comment.

"Who?" I pointed to the back seat with my thumb as I continued to drive. "File's somewhere there. Try to reach for it."

He sighed in annoyance before reaching into the back seat and picking up the file. When he opened it up, his demeanor changed. "Kamiyaki…?"

"By the way you said her name, sounds like you knew her." I chuckled, looking forward as I continued to drive. Well, it would be bad if I wasn't continuing to drive. I am the driver, after all.

Erito quietly read through the file before closing it. "This girl...I do know her."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow to him.

"Because our schools competed against each other a few times." He turned to look back out the window. "...She was nice to me."

 _"Ouuuch…"_ I looked forwards again. "It's a bit too late to change the cast list, Master." I decided not to mention the fact that we did in fact choose Kamiyaki precisely because she knew Erito - or, should I say, Kozaki.

"I'm not saying to change it. I'm saying that she was nice to me. That's all." He huffed in response.

"And that's all you're going to tell me?" I let out a disappointed sigh.

Erito turned to look at me. "When I would sit alone, sometimes she would come and sit next to me when she wasn't performing. We talked small talk. Never got that personal with each other."

"So she's a friend?" I tilted my head.

"...An acquaintance, I suppose. You'd have to ask Kozaki." Erito once again turned to look out the window.

"Unfortunately, I can't do that. Gonna have to shake up some memories, so that she won't recognize you, and you won't recognize her." I calmly replied, then taking an exit to get onto another highway.

Erito turned to look back to me again. "You talk as if Kozaki and I are the same.

"Aren't you?" I turned back to him, raising an eyebrow.

"No." He replied, once again looking out the window.

I had some doubts about that.

The rest of the trip was silent. Well, minus the traffic jams and the bad drivers. I swear, there was some New Jersey guy who slid across two lanes to take an exit.

What I got from this was that Erito and Kozaki both hated road trips.

No, not even just that. Traveling in general seemed to make them irritated. Whether it be by car or by plane, they seemed to always become easily irritable.

It didn't help that these err, pick-ups of our candidates took several months until we were finished.

By the time we were done, he seemed to be at his worst. All business, no banter.

That is, until he would get to see them all in person. For a check-up, just before they were due for their Customization. I came with my clipboards and papers, while Master came with his bodyguard, Ramón.

When we first entered the room where we were keeping the candidates in suspended animation, his demeanor changed. It was softer, more uncertain.

We began to check on each of the candidates individually. Just making sure they were healthy, and all. Of course, the spots for Master Erito and his bodyguard were empty for now.

As we continued to walk through the room, Erito paused. He stopped and turned to face one of them, staring at them in silence.

"Is that...Mikanne?" He asked, softly.

Understandably so, he seemed to be surprised. It was, after all, the first time he laid eyes on him so closely in person in years. Sure, there was that brief glance at him when we did our scouting, however...it just wasn't the same. Erito could stand here and observe him for as long as he wanted.

"Yes, Master." I walked over besides him, crossing my arms behind my back. "Indeed, this is Mikanne."

"It's been so long..." He closed his eyes. "I almost had completely forgotten what he looked like. His face, that is. I could hardly recognize him…"

I didn't reply. Mostly because I didn't care to.

"Mikanne…is that who you've mentioned before, Master?" Ramón asked, curiously.

"Yes." Erito nodded.

There was a short silence.

"Sorry. We're wasting time." I turned to walk away. "Master, you're due up first for the Customization process."

Erito turned to look at me. It seemed like there was a glimmer of hesitation, as though he wanted to continue to stand there, marvelling at his long lost friend. "You're right. I apologise."

"Come along, then." I motioned for the pair to follow me out of the room.

…

And guess what happened during Master's Customization. Go on, I'll give you three guesses.

What? You won't even guess once? Yeash, you're not fun. At least when you were Fraize, you had a sense of humor.

Well, I'll just tell you then. The Customization went very, very wrong. Kozaki kept trying to fight against the computer the whole time. Eventually the computer crashed while he was still inside, too! We had to delay the Customization processes for every single other candidate until it was fixed! Took a whole week, too.

Oh, you don't remember what Customization is either? I feel like at this point I should just ask you what you _do_ remember.

Well, it's an invention of Master Erito's. A program in which the participant can build an identity for themselves of which they desire. The technology, which I helped with by the way, can select suggestions for you based on your own preferences. You can change your name, your hair color, your clothes, and so much more.

That's how you became Fraize, so you should definitely try to remember that now.

Alright, alright. Next story.

* * *

"I've been having these strange thoughts lately." Master Erito suddenly spoke as he closed his eyes, sitting in a chair facing the window. The window, one of many from his own personal office space.

"Strange thoughts?" I asked him, lowering my cup of coffee and setting it aside.

"Like…" He opened his eyes to look out the window. "Is this all, everything we've done...really what I want?"

"Eh?" I blinked. "Of course it is, Master. Why else would we have gotten this far?"

He turned to look back at me. "It's just...I find myself asking what I wanted to achieve in the first place."

"Well…" I pointed to him. "What did you want, when you started this?"

He turned away, quietly. "I wanted...to create a world without suffering. A world that isn't swallowed by the selfishness of people. A world where nobody has to feel...the way that I felt."

"Hmm…" I scratched my chin, nodding. "Alright. Then...what's the problem?"

He let out a sigh. "This whole Faceless thing. The world we've built, and our final project. I don't know if I can follow through with it."

I crossed my arms, thoughtfully. "Is that so?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know...ever since the game started and we've been doing these experiments...I've been doubting myself."

I paused for a moment to process this. "You don't think that it's Kozaki making you feel this way, do you?"

"What?" He frowned. "Please. Kozaki is not even real. He's just an experimental persona I put on in the game. You know that."

"I think you're wrong, Erito." I shook my head. "I think you've made an incorrect judgement about how the experiment will impact you."

"Impact me?" He stood up. "This is absurd. I am in control here! These thoughts are of my own!"

"You say that." I calmly stood up. "But do you believe it?"

He paused, looking away.

"Master. I believe Kozaki is more than just a mask you can take off and put on at will. He has his own thoughts, desires, even fears." I began to walk towards the window. "Tell me something. What do you think about the other participants in the game?"

Erito was silent for a moment before he replied in a rather annoyed manner, as though the question was a waste of time. "I-I don't know, does it matter?"

"...It does." I turned back to him. "Because before, you didn't seem to care about any of them. Then, suddenly you seemed to care about Mikanne. Now you hesitate to answer me."

He did not respond.

"Kozaki is influencing your thoughts." I nodded, slowly. "These are his friends that he cares deeply for. Now they don't appear to be as meaningless as you once anticipated."

He frowned, though still without words.

"So my next question is...what are you going to do about this?" I asked, calmly.

Erito bitterly looked away. "I need to get rid of every trace of the experimental personality. I won't let him stop me from completing this project."

I chuckled. "Now, when are you going to stop calling it an experimental personality?"

"What?" He seemed to be surprised.

Crossing my arms, I nodded. "Kozaki...you are him. You were born as him. He always has been a part of your life. He's not a persona we slapped together in a computer and uploaded into your mind."

He held his right arm. "What are you getting at?"

"There, see?" I pointed to him. "You are holding your right arm! That's what _he_ does!" I smiled. "That's what _you_ do."

"Muscle memory…" He muttered. "Still, I don't get your point."

"Kozaki is a reconstruction." I walked over to get a sip of my coffee before continuing. "Based on his real memories from before he became you. In a way, you and Kozaki are two completely different people, despite the fact that you are physically the same person." I walked over to him and poked him on the nose. "From your hair to your freckles, to every other part of your body. You physically share the same brain. Regardless of all the technologies we used to create your unique artificial phenomena, I don't think it's impossible for the both of you to slip into each other."

"And?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I took in another sip from my coffee. "And that's why you've been having, in your words, strange thoughts. They're your own thoughts, but they also aren't. It's really fascinating, isn't it?"

He let out a sigh.

"When I think about it...this whole time, you've been acting unlike yourself." I poked him on the forehead. "Are you sure you're not Kozaki right now? You haven't been exchanged yet in the cleaning procedure, but you are acting a lot like him."

He brushed my hand away and walked over to the window. "Forget it."

"Hey, hey. Brushing me off like that, that's what Kozaki would do." I teased him as I followed him over to the window.

"I am not Kozaki. I am Erito." He huffed, tugging on his lab coat. "He is just a fucking mask, is all."

"Now you're swearing." I crossed my arms behind my back. "Master...I think we need to increase your dosage during your cleaning."

Erito looked over to me. "Do whatever you want, just...get that _thing_ out of my head!"

"Alright, alright...yeesh." I covered my ears. "You don't have to shout at me."

He then looked out the window. "If he's slipping into me, have I been slipping into him? I need to check the footage...I can't risk my identity being exposed."

"Here's a thought." I smiled with a wink. "How about...we kill him?"

"What?" Erito turned to me, surprised.

"Not literally." I reassured him. "Let's set up something that will have the others think he's died so you can be taken back here to continue operations without any disturbances."

Erito frowned in response. "But the rule of the game is if I am killed, it ends. Even if I am not really dead, they won't know that. What would we do then?"

I chuckled, looking out the window. "Simple. The game just continues exactly because you are still alive."

"...Then what?" Erito shook his head. "Let their numbers dwindle until there's only two survivors?"

"I dunno." I shrugged, casually. "That's for you to decide, Master."

"But…" He grew silent. It seemed as though he was feeling some sort of anxiety over this.

I was silent as well for a while before I began to laugh. "Do you really think I'd let the fate of your world rest upon a killing game?"

Erito looked over to me. "No. You wouldn't be so stupid."

"Strong word, you're using there." I crossed my arms behind my back.

"It _is_ stupid." He frowned, glaring out the window. "Who do you take me for? Junko Enoshima?"

"Pfft-" I couldn't help but grin from his remark. "Forgive me, Master."

He continued to stare out the window in silence. As he did, I looked out through the glass as well. To the stars, to the future.

"Haiji."

I turned to look over to Master Erito. "What is it?"

He continued to look out of the glass window, into the deep cosmos. "What is it that you want?"

I turned to look out the window as well. "What I want?"

"I'd be a fool to think there isn't something you want to come out from this." He calmly responded. "I can tell, there's something out there. A goal that you have. What is it?"

I smiled. "Come on, sport. You know I'm doing all of this for you."

He shook his head. "I think...there is something else."

"Really?" I crossed my arms. "I think you're looking too much into it."

"...Perhaps." He closed his eyes and placed his hand onto the glass. "I sometimes wonder...what I want to come from all of this. I wonder if this is what I want. I wonder...if this is what _you_ want. Have you been projecting your desires and your visions onto me? Do I mean nothing?" He turned to me. _"Is my life just your pawn?"_

Reassuringly, I patted him on the shoulder. "Of course not, Master. I am doing this _for you._ I'm creating this _for you."_

He turned to look away. "If this is all for me...then why-?"

 _Knock, knock._

We turned to face the door as it was opened.

"Ah. Ramón." Erito seemed to have brightened up. "I didn't expect you to come for at least another ten minutes."

"Apologies." Master's bodyguard bowed his head. "I was sent to fetch you, Master."

"Sent?" He stepped forwards. "From who?"

"Tobi." Ramón replied, simply.

Master Erito seemed to be relieved about being called away. "Alright." He turned to me. "Let's continue this another time."

"But of course, Master." I smiled at him before turning to look out the window again.

After pausing for just a moment, Erito began to walk with his bodyguard out of the room. After hearing the door shut, I let out a quiet sigh.

Our plan to kill him, it would be hard to pull off without having to manipulate the game. Luckily, we were getting close to revealing the next motive.

We discussed our plan in detail - myself, Erito, and his bodyguard. I figured the plan was straight forward. Reveal Master Erito's identity to that vigilante, have her 'kill' him, and then have his bodyguard come and kill the vigilante, then steal the information about Master Erito's identity so nobody else will be able to find it. He will also have to ensure that Master Erito will not be killed. Mikanne will need new creams soon, so giving him a few extra bottles might motivate him to share it.

We just have to play our cards right.

"...I don't know if I can go along with this plan." Ramón worriedly looked to the side. "It puts Master in danger, Mei could expose his identity to everyone, and...there's just so much risk involved."

"But you know all about risk." I casually smiled while sipping a fresh cup of coffee. "I mean, you're a mafioso."

He didn't seem to be too happy about that remark. "A calculated risk and just being reckless are two different things."

"Oh, come on. This plan is going to work." I reassured him. "So as long as everyone plays their part."

"You're literally rigging the game, and Mei is going to die for it." He seemed to be almost angry about that. "I wouldn't take this so lightly."

"You have to take it either way." I lowered my cup of coffee and pointed to him. "That is your role, Ramón Loarte. You follow commands, and you protect Master Erito. You don't make the rules, you follow them. Understand?"

He fell silent in response.

"Haiji, please." Erito raised a hand, slightly. "Don't speak to him that way. He is only asking out of interest to protect me. He is my bodyguard, after all."

That didn't account for him sounding angered over the game. Was...Master trying to cover for him?

How peculiar…

"Apologies." I adjusted my tie. "In any case, if all goes well, Master Erito will safely be brought back here while Ramón will be the grayed of the case. Consequently, he will not be punished."

"And how will you take into account our...masks?" Master Erito tilted his head. "After all, they don't know anything about this. They might even cause events to happen you could never predict."

"I have faith that it will work out." I smiled and nodded. "The answer might surprise you."

"Oh?" Master Erito curiously tilted his head.

"You'll see. When this all works out, you'll owe me...ten dollars." I winked. "In any case, it's time for you to return to the game."

"Alright…" Master Erito stood up, then turned to his bodyguard. "Let's be on our way."

Ramón stood up as well, nodding before heading out alongside his master.

As I watched them leave together, I noticed a certain behavior that they shared. One that only further gave me confidence in the move I was making.

The back of their hands touched, as though for some reason they wanted to hold hands but couldn't go through with it.

I wondered, were they unaware that in their other life...they were in love?

Or perhaps, maybe they did know, but couldn't acknowledge it out if...some kind of anxiety.

Interesting. Very, very interesting.

…

How did I know it was going to work out? Well...I may have cheated. You know, I cheated just a bit in every single case. Planted some seeds. But hey, I've never been caught! Impressive, right? Bah, it's not a big deal. Master owes me ten dollars, so it's all good.

Oh please, I didn't mind control anyone to do anything. Everyone acted on their own accord. And that includes you, Ramón. You shot and killed Mei that day.

Can't remember it though, can you?

…

Hello? Helloooo?

You spaced out there for a second.

Ah, right. That _love_ stuff. Don't worry about it. Fraize is already dead. Kozaki will be soon enough. Then, it'll be all back to normal. Ramón and his Master Erito. The way that it should be.

…

We still have time to kill. Here, another story for you. It happened while you were in that trial for the fifth murder case, so it might be the first time you hear about this. I mean, disregarding the broken memories.

Listen to this...

* * *

I nodded in a satisfied manner as his body was brought into the room, fresh from the cleansing procedure.

It had worked. He was 'killed', then brought to the lab.

It was quite cute to see how the other participants surrounded him in some sort of friendship circle. Unfortunately, the power of friendship isn't enough to stop what we have set in motion.

But...little did I know that our little plan would have a wrench in it. One that neither of us thought to calculate for.

That wrench being that the cleansing process...failed.

It wasn't the first time it had failed, but something about this particular session…

Things ended up going into very unknown territory.

…

I wasn't quite sure what to do from that point. We couldn't just continue as planned...

"Wakey, wakey." I nudged him, gently.

When he finally opened his eyes, they were again those two different colors. More proof besides just words that something went awry in the cleansing procedure. I wasn't sure who exactly was upstairs in his mind.

"L-Let me go…" He tried to stand up, but wobbled. "My friends need me…"

I crossed my arms as I tilted my head. "Your friends?"

He ignored me as he stumbled towards the door.

I calmly walked over to him as I took him by the shoulder. "Master...come along. You've just been killed, you need to rest."

"Erito, I…" It didn't seem like he wanted to come with me.

"Come on, master." I patted him on the back. "Let's be on our way."

"But, the others…" He quietly whispered, as though he was fading away. He then remained silent again.

"Come along, now." I took him by the arm gently and walked him through the complex. "I know just the spot for you to rest before we get back to work."

We headed upstairs a few floors before arriving at the recreational floor. Not once did he try to escape from me. Honestly, it seemed like he couldn't even recognize who I was. That, or he was too dazed and confused to put up any form of a struggle.

I continued to wonder, who was he? Was he Kozaki? Was he Erito? Was he...somehow both of them together?

After our relatively short walk, I opened the door to what I believed to be just the perfect room for him.

Puppies, everywhere. I thought this was brilliant. After all, I knew that Kozaki was a dog lover. Heck, even as Erito, he would come here in his free time to surround himself with these little bundles of joy.

He stepped inside, insecurely. "What is…?"

"Come on, Master." I smiled as I closed the door behind us. "Why don't you take some time off for yourself for now? You seem to be...very ill."

He quietly walked forward a few steps before kneeling. The various puppies in the room all bounced towards him, eagerly. "There's so many of them…"

I crossed my arms behind my back as I leaned against the wall. "But of course, and of many breeds as well. This is one of your favorite rooms to recharge in. Don't you remember?"

He continued to look at the puppies. Though, something about him seemed to be weary of them. He was hesitating to pet them, let alone show them any form of affection. For a dog lover like him, this was definitely off-putting.

Even Erito wouldn't have a reaction like that. This felt completely abnormal.

"Master, is everything alright?" I asked him, tilting my head.

"This is...this is all wrong." He slowly felt at his head. "I-I'm no Master…"

Some of the puppies were whining, trying to get his attention.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Shiro...he must miss me so much, if he's even still alive…" He then opened his eyes and gently scooped up a puppy that was the same breed of his beloved dog. "He used to look just like this. Like this, before that damn accident, before I hurt him…" He shut his eyes again. "What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you, Master." I knelt down to pet one of the puppies.

"N-No, no...you're lying." He bit his lip, shaking lightly. He had to be careful not to harm the poor pup by accident. If only he was as careful as this when it came to not hurting his friends.

"Lying?" I asked my dear nephew, tilting my head lightly. "And why do you say that?"

"All of this, everything…" He gently released the puppy. "I've always caused the people around me to hurt. Yet I, I want to stop…" He then held his head, clearly distressed. "Stop...suffering!"

Could this be Erito? Or perhaps, it's something else?

"Stop suffering?" I approached him. By this point the puppies were all moving away from the two of us. "We were going to create a world without suffering. That hasn't changed, Master. Why do you say it like it has?"

"That world, it can't exist if I'm part of it." He looked over to me, backing away. "I-I don't want to be part of this." He then felt his face. "I have to get rid of the suffering, but it follows me everywhere I go. To create a world without suffering - how can I want to create a world without suffering if the suffering is caused by me? N-No, no. I don't want to suffer anymore. I-"

From the way he spoke, he sounded like a mix between his two selves. It was almost like they were fighting for control, resulting in him spewing out incomprehensible gibberish.

Could it be because the exchange process failed?

"Slow down there, sport." I kneeled down, reaching over to him to stroke his hair. "Of course you can be a part of our new world. None of this would be possible without you." I then smiled, gently. "You're our leader, Master."

"N-No." He pushed my hand away before standing up. "I'm not."

I stood up as well. "Who are you then, Master?"

He paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer me.

"I'll tell you who you are." I leaned in. "You're Erito Hajimoto."

"N-No, that's wrong. All of this is wrong. You're wrong...I-I'm wrong…!" He shook his head, raising his voice.

"Eh? _You're_ wrong?" I was confused by that remark.

He frantically looked around, as though he wanted to run away. To run away, like he always would as a child. But he couldn't. His body fought against his mind, and he dropped to his knees. He stayed quiet, feeling his head.

"Master Erito…" I crouched down to his level, lifting his chin lightly with my index finger to look at him in the eyes. "Who do you think you are?"

He shook his head in response. "I don't know anymore, I don't know who I am. Nothing makes sense to me..."

I slowly stood up, still looking at him. "If that's the case, then I suppose nobody knows who you are."

He quietly stood up, eyes dancing around insecurely.

"Perhaps this experiment has done more to your mind than you can handle." I frowned, nodding. "Master...we need to remove your reconstructed self as soon as possible. It's driving you mad."

"Remove…?" He asked, his voice shaking lightly.

"It will take some time, but I can do it for you." I pointed to him.

He slowly rose to his feet, looking around the room. The puppies were as far away from us as they could be. It was like we were monsters.

"I-I have to go…" He began to move towards the door. "My friends need me."

"Go?" I shook my head. "No, you're not going anywhere. With how you are now, you won't even make it far."

But he ignored me, continuing to head for the door. "I'm going."

I followed behind him. "If you're not going to your room to rest, you're not going anywhere."

"I have to get back to them, they need me…" He ignored me, now exiting the room.

I was not going to just stand there and watch him walk away wherever he wanted. I followed after him, grabbing his arm and frowning. "Enough. Let's get you to bed."

He didn't fight me as I walked him through the complex, back to his room. He laid down on his bed and curled into a fetal position.

"I don't know what has been causing all these recent failures." I crossed my arms, looking to the side. "But they're taking a toll on you. Master, you look like you're going to drop dead. It's not safe for you to return to the game."

"But, Erito…" He closed his eyes. "I have to go back."

"No, absolutely not." I shook my head, removing my lab coat to walk over and sit next to him on his bed. "You're out of the game now. The plan has worked. You never have to switch back to that pitiful personality ever again. Take a day or two off, Master."

He looked away. "Erito, the others... they need me…"

"They're going to be fine." I reassured him. "Are you worried about your bodyguard? We could pull some strings to remove him from the game." I was getting slightly desperate to try and appease Master Erito. If that was who he even was, at this point.

"I don't want them to die." He shook his head. "What good is my goal if my friends are dying for it?"

I went quiet to process that. It really did sound as if Erito and Kozaki somehow melted into each other.

"Look, I'm sorry, champ. But, it's not like we can just stop rolling the cameras. We need the world to keep its eyes on this game a bit longer. We need more time before our vision can come to fruition. The game cannot end yet."

"Make it end sooner." He sat up. "The killing game, end it. Make them all elites. Save…" His voice trailed off.

"You know I can't just do that. There are things that need to be finished first." I sighed and stood up. "I'll go think of something to bring Ramón back to you alright?"

Erito then quickly rose to his feet, shaking his head. He then dashed forwards and snatched my lab coat before leaving the room.

"What the-?" I quickly ran after him. "What are you doing, Master?!"

He continued to run down the hall, as though he were searching for some kind of escape.

I reached to grab him by the arm, squeezing it. "You are not to leave this place, Master."

"I'll leave to go wherever I want." He tugged his arm, trying to break free from my hold.

"No, you will not." I began to tug him along with me. "You're going to your room, and that's an order." I felt as though I was putting a disobedient child to bed.

Well, Kozaki _was_ always disobedient.

 _Painfully disobedient._

"Let go of me, Erito!" He raised his voice.

I turned to look at him. To observe his face, his behavior. I was trying to piece together who he was. "No, Master. You must rest."

"If I don't leave, my friends will vote wrong!" He continued to struggle. "I have to go back!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, shaking my head. "Forget about the game, Master! We went through all the trouble of bringing you here in a manner where no one will look for you!"

"No, you don't understand!" He was finally able to slip out from my grasp.

He then sprinted away.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" I began to chase after him. "You miserable child! Get back here this instance!"

But he never turned back. He ran and he ran and he ran. He kept spewing out nonsense, the same line over and over.

 _I have to go back!_

As I ran to catch up to him, I saw him enter the elevator. He had tossed my laptop and ID card outside of it.

"Stop this!" I bolted towards the elevator. "You're going to ruin everything, _Kozaki!"_

The instant I reached the elevator, the doors shut. I could see the look in his eyes for just a second, the absolute terror he was feeling just before his body collapsed inside.

That damn, miserable child!

Angrily, I punched the door of the elevator. I then let out a sigh as I bent over to pick up my lab coat and ID.

That's it. I've had enough of your games. Go ahead. Go back to the others in the killing game. Have them realize you're alive, and make your own bodyguard the blackened for the sake of your idiocy!

I'm going to begin preparations now for the...special operation.

Oh, oh yes. It's very special indeed. The operation where it will vaporize that miserable reconstruction.

I've already killed before.

I just can't wait to kill you.

…

That's right. If it weren't for that, things may have gone in a _much_ better direction for us. It was very, very hard to save you from that execution.

I could have just let you die. Maybe to teach that miserable child a lesson.

I didn't save you because you mean anything to me. I don't care about you at all.

I saved you because you dying there would have been the stupidest thing I would have ever had the displeasure of witnessing.

And also, so you could continue your role as Master's bodyguard. You truly are an incredibly talented individual.

So, thank me then. Thank me for saving your life. C'mon, I'm waiting.

…

Alright. I'll tell you just one more story. After that, we'll head out - whether or not Master wakes up.

* * *

I grumbled as I walked through the halls. That girl, she has fight. I'll give her credit for that.

But what an annoyance. A real pain in my ass, all thanks to my _wonderful_ nephew.

My wonderful, incredible nephew who wouldn't stop struggling and wiggling and trying to escape as he was escorted through the halls to the room where the cleansing took place.

"Let me go, damn it!" He squirmed, trying to break free. "What are you going to do to her?!"

Her? Oh, that's right. Our uninvited guest…

"Fucking...don't ignore me, Uncle!" He shouted at me. "What will you do?!"

I rolled my eyes and shrugged, casually. "What else am I supposed to do with her, my dear nephew? She was trespassing. She could be killed for all I know."

"Y-You can't…" He seemed to be horrified by that.

"Hmm…" I then smiled. "You're right. Just killing her would be boring and anticlimactic! Instead…" I then crossed my arms behind my back. "She would make for a good hostage for a killing motive, wouldn't you agree?"

That only seemed to piss him off more.

"Yeesh…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "I just can't win with you, can I?" I then waved a hand, casually. "Just hurry up and turn back into Erito for me in the cleaning room."

The anger of his face shifted to an expression of complete confusion. Then, traces of fear began to appear. "W-What…? Turn back into…? I-I don't…"

I then stopped walking and turned around. It seems like he absolutely could not remember what happened after the recent failed exchange session. Interesting. Very, very interesting.

"Ooh, my bad. You were supposed to figure that out during the final trial." I then shrugged with a smile. "Spoilers?"

"W-Wait, I…" He stared at me in disbelief.

"That's right!" I pridefully nodded. "The mastermind of the killing game _iiiiis…"_ I pointed at him with some finger guns. "You!"

He was completely silent. To be honest, it looked like he would drop dead any second.

 _"Iiiiis_...you!" I pointed to him again.

Nope. Still nothing.

I sighed and moved my arms to my side. "What? No reaction?" I let out a disappointed sigh. "My expectations for you were low, and yet you still managed to let me down."

"I'm…" He looked to his hands. "Erito is...m-me?"

"Congratulations. You have at least two functioning brain cells." I walked towards the door to the cleaning room and opened it. "Come along."

His face was pale, and he put up no effort to resist against the two Faceless members who were escorting him. As he passed by, I could see the absolute horror in his eyes.

"Oh, by the way!" I called to the fellow Faceless members. "Can you remove that memory of me telling him, you know, that _teensie_ detail about his true identity? Thanks!" I then shut the door.

From there, I headed back to my office.

I was playing my cards carefully. I had to push them to go to the puzzle room. Hopefully, using that girl as a hostage and that lab cat as a murder target will get the group the resolve to solve the puzzle.

And from there?

Well... there's only two ways the game will end. Either they will all die except for Master Erito, or Kozaki will be executed.

And by that, I mean he will be erased in front of everyone to see.

Just thinking about it made me feel delirious. Finally, after all this time, I can eradicate that personality so Master Erito will be my absolute, perfected disciple.

Consensually, of course. It was his idea to erase Kozaki's miserable existence.

I only just lead him in that direction of reasoning.

This Faceless organization, it's like my garden. I am the gardener who tends to each of the plants each day. I am the one who waters and feeds my most prized plant.

Erito Hajimoto is that very plant.

I watched that class trial with popcorn in hand. It was a miserable sight, watching Mikanne's desperation. He wanted so badly to save his childhood friend. Why? Because he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he failed. That's how I see it.

I wondered if for a moment, Kozaki was able to remember that I had told him he was Erito. He was so deadlocked in trying to convince his friends to vote for him.

It was a putrid, disgusting sight.

However, a sight that I expected to see.

What I did _not_ expect, however, was for them all to tie the vote.

I didn't have anything prepared for that, I am ashamed to admit. Perhaps this was the fruit of their friendship, therefore it was something I could never understand.

I thought for a moment, I'd give them all a fake execution in order to swoop them down here. Show's over, ladies and gentlemen. No survivors in this killing game!

But the world would be pissed at me. I couldn't pull something like that.

Oh yeah, especially the Weise Vayrne fans. They're a loud, rowdy bunch. Even just imagining their reactions on social media made me shudder.

Though, they also were a bunch that wouldn't be able to do anything meaningful. All they could do was cry through their rage posts about how horribly the show ended.

Bah, I'm getting ahead of myself.

What ended up happening was not a surprise to me, however. My miserable nephew pulled off his glove to save his friends. He almost pulled it off way back during the trial of the first murder. Ever since then, I expected he would eventually snap and pull it off.

Well, he didn't snap, moreso perceived it as the only way out.

And then, what would happen?

Well...

...

You already know what ended up happening, because here we are now. Me, you, and Master Erito in a room.

We've spent enough time here, and Master Erito is still sound asleep. I suppose we should get a move-on, then.

Oh, a question? What is it?

Who are you? There's a few answers to that question. You're a bodyguard, a mafioso, a tour guide...lots of things.

…

What kind of question is that?

Please. Your name is Ramón Loarte. That's who you are. I told you, you created Fraize during your Customization. He was nothing more than a mask during the game. Just like Kozaki was.

...

Look, kid, I'd love to continue this chat with you, but I have things I need to do. If you'll please follow me, I need you to escort my dear nephew to our special guest room. Hmm...let's go with room A. After all, that girl must be feeling quite lonely. She could use a friend.

Actually...she knows who he is, right? I wonder how she'll react to this.

In any case, this will be quite the interaction to witness.

Come along, now.

…

Here we are. She's just as quiet as ever.

Well, no use in having any fanfare. Let me just drop in my nephew here…

Aaaand done.

What's with that look?

Hey, if you were me, you'd want to throw him to the floor rather violently as well.

I need to get going now, or I'll be late for my meeting. I'm counting on you to guard this cell for me until I get back.

Alright, Ramón...you're the boss now.

* * *

~ Chapter Seven, Start ~


End file.
